The Karamay community alcohol abuse and self-rated health status survey

Abstract

Objective To investigate the health status and incidence of alcohol abuse of Xinjiang community residents. Methods Through multi-stage random sampling, 1992 community residents (15-65years old) were assessed using socio-demographic information questionnaire, alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT) and self-rated health measurement scale-prior test(SHRMS). Single factor analysis and rank sum test were used to identify the incidence of alcohol abuse, the distribution of different populations, and the self-rated health status of abusers. Results Totally 298 cases of alcohol abuse were identified, and accordingly, the prevalence rate of alcohol abuse for general population was 15.1% (male 26.4%, female 4.8%). Key factors for alcohol abuse included male, middle-aged, well-educated, at work, administrative work, high income levels and large number of household. The differences among groups were statistical significant.Presumably the workplace population was at high risk of alcohol abuse.Alcohol abusers were significantly worse than general population in self-rated health status(P<0.01), especially in mental health and social health. Conclusion The incidence of alcohol abuse is relatively high in Xinjiang region, and the problem need more attention.Further survey and early intervention work for high-risk group are advised to achieve the purpose of prevention and control. Key words: Alcohol abuse; Alcohol use disorders identification test(AUDIT); Self-rated health status; High-risk population