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Abstract
BackgroundOver 60% of households (HHs) in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) consume alcohol. These HHs were more likely to report illnesses, relationship problems, and behavioral problems with children. This study set out to determine what proportion of HHs were willing to support changes in specific policies, laws and regulations in a national alcohol campaign.MethodsA cross-sectional convenience sample of HHs were surveyed from a random sample of enumeration districts (ED) in T&T. An interviewer-applied, field pre-tested de novo questionnaire had 5 domains and was developed over 1 1/2 years after an extensive literature review and consultation. Many of the WHO ‘best buys’ recommendations were included.ResultsOne thousand six hundred ninety-five HHs (from 53 ED) responded from a total of 1837 HHs approached (response rate 92%). In a national campaign the following proportions of HHs would support: setting the legal age for drinking at 21 years (82.4%); restricting or banning alcohol advertising on TV and other media (73.1% and 54.4% respectively); banning all alcohol advertising at sports and cultural events (64.8%); banning radio stations playing songs with reference to alcohol use (71.3%); holding sellers of alcohol responsible for the amount of alcohol sold (79.5%); advocating that proof of age to be shown by persons buying alcohol (87.4%); placing more prominent warning labels on products displaying alcohol content (87.2%); placing more prominent warning labels on products showing harmful effects (88.5%); increasing taxes on alcohol sales (87.7%). Less than 50% of HH supported restrictions in density of outlets and reduction in opening times for alcohol outlets.ConclusionsMany HHs in T&T are willing to support changes in policies around alcohol, including many of the policies shown by the WHO to be effective in reducing the harmful consumption of alcohol.
Highlights
Over 60% of households (HHs) in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) consume alcohol
The percentage of males who engaged in heavy episodic drinking (HED), ranged between 22% in Barbados and 33.9% in Trinidad and Tobago and between 9.7 and 16.8% for females in these islands respectively [3, 4]
The highest level of schooling completed by the head of the HH was primary (25.8%), secondary (40.5%) and tertiary (23.1%) level respectively
Summary
Over 60% of households (HHs) in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) consume alcohol. These HHs were more likely to report illnesses, relationship problems, and behavioral problems with children. The Global Student Health Survey reported that in studies between 2003 and 2010, 45% of youth aged 13– 15 years in the English speaking Caribbean (ESC) self-reported alcohol use in the past 30 days [2]. Among adults 15–64 years old, in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T), 40.4% consumed alcohol in the past 30 days, 50.6% males and 30.9% females. This increases to 50.2% among the 25–34 year age sub-group, for both sexes [3]. Among the countries in the Americas in 2010, 72.9% of male youth in T&T admit to HED, the highest in the region [5]
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