Abstract
Heavy and problematic alcohol use among college students has become a serious public health issue in Kenya. This alcohol consumption among the college student population is associated with numerous negative consequences such as assault, injury, risky sexual behavior, academic problems and property damage among others. This study sought to examine the prevalence of alcohol consumption among students in two public universities. The paper explored the drinking trends among students in the domains of normal use, harmful/hazardous drinking and alcohol dependency. The research design was a survey. The study area was University of Eldoret and Moi University in Uasin Gishu County. Four hundred students responded to the 10 item Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (Babor, Saunders, Higgins-Biddle and Monteiro,1992) [1] Data was analyzed using SPSS version 12. Descriptive statistics was adopted for frequencies and percentages. T-test was used to analyze gender differences in alcohol use. As this research documents, 30% of the respondents were taking an alcoholic drink at least once a month. Among the students using alcohol, 30% were engaging in hazardous alcohol use, while 49.5% were engaged in harmful alcohol use. A significant number of respondents displayed tendencies towards alcohol dependence (34%). There is need for universities to formulate effective intervention measures to help curb high alcohol consumption among students.
Highlights
Research findings show that 2 billion people worldwide consume alcoholic drinks, which can have immediate and long term consequences on health and social life. 76 million people are currently affected by alcohol use disorders, such as alcohol dependence and abuse. (GreenFacts, 2013)[2] The world’s highest alcohol consumption levels are found in the developed world, with the worldwide consumption in 2005 equal to 6.13 liters of pure alcohol consumed per person aged 15 years or older (WHO, 2011). [3] According to the World Health Organization [3] countries in the Americas, Europe and Western Pacific regions have relatively stable consumption levels while marked increases are seen in Africa and South-East Asia
Among the students using alcohol, 30% were engaging in hazardous alcohol use, while 49.5% were engaged in harmful alcohol use
The World Health Organization [3] says about 2.5 million people die annually, and many more succumb to illness and injury, as a result of harmful alcohol use
Summary
Research findings show that 2 billion people worldwide consume alcoholic drinks, which can have immediate and long term consequences on health and social life. 76 million people are currently affected by alcohol use disorders, such as alcohol dependence and abuse. (GreenFacts, 2013)[2] The world’s highest alcohol consumption levels are found in the developed world, with the worldwide consumption in 2005 equal to 6.13 liters of pure alcohol consumed per person aged 15 years or older (WHO, 2011). [3] According to the World Health Organization [3] countries in the Americas, Europe and Western Pacific regions have relatively stable consumption levels while marked increases are seen in Africa and South-East Asia. 76 million people are currently affected by alcohol use disorders, such as alcohol dependence and abuse. (GreenFacts, 2013)[2] The world’s highest alcohol consumption levels are found in the developed world, with the worldwide consumption in 2005 equal to 6.13 liters of pure alcohol consumed per person aged 15 years or older (WHO, 2011). [3] According to the World Health Organization [3] countries in the Americas, Europe and Western Pacific regions have relatively stable consumption levels while marked increases are seen in Africa and South-East Asia. (WHO Africa, 2007)[5] Different alcohol consumption patterns create significant public health and safety problems in most countries (WHO, 2011)[3].
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