Factors Influencing Alcohol Use Research Articles

Alcohol use among in-school adolescents in Sierra Leone

ObjectiveTo examine the prevalence of alcohol use and its associated factors among in-school adolescents in Sierra Leone.DesignData for the study was sourced from the 2017 Sierra Leone Global School-Based Student...

Determinants of alcohol use among the youth in the Bosomtwe District, Ashanti Region- Ghana

Background: Alcohol consumption accounts for major health related morbidity and mortality in the world with more than 3 million deaths and increasing global disease burden. The use of alcohol among the youth is very crucial due to prolonged complications established throughout the entire life of the individual. Objectives: This study aims to determine the factors that influence alcohol use among the youth in the Bosomtwe district of Ashanti Region, Ghana. Method: A cross- sectional study design was used for this study. The sample size estimated was 383 using the StatCalc tool on Epi Info 7, for the estimated population size with a 5% error margin. P-value of £0.05 was considered statistically significant at 95% confidence interval. Responses were collected from participants who consented to the study. The participant selection was dependent on the eligibility criteria for the study. The data was processed and analyzed with STATA 14. Chi- squared analysis was done to establish association between the independent and dependent variables. Results: 51.7% of the participants from the Bosomtwe district had consumed alcoholic beverage before with 71.86% currently consuming alcoholic beverage. Majority (63.70%) of the participants knew alcohol had adverse effect on the various organs of the human body. 50.51% were introduced to alcohol use by their peers with 51.51% of them being influenced by their peers on the choice of alcoholic beverage. Most of the participants (45.45%) consumed alcoholic beverage due to the content displayed during advertisement with 66.16% being influenced to consume alcoholic beverage following bereaved family member or friend. Almost 70% of the participants consumed their first alcoholic drink between the age of 20-24years. Majority (64.14%) of the participants consumed alcohol just for fun. The significant factors influencing alcohol use in the study were educational status of the participants, gender, information gathered about alcoholic beverages and during bereavement. There were significant association between information regarding alcohol use, policies on alcohol consumption, bereavement of family members and current alcohol consumption with p-values of 0.008, 0.019 and 0.001 respectively. Conclusion: More than 70% of the participants in the Bosomtwe district were currently consuming alcoholic beverage with 53.55% of them engaging in binge drinking. Most of the participants had suffered some complications following alcohol use. There is the need for appropriate interventions in this area to reduce the morbidity and mortality related to alcohol use.

English

Alcohol has been identified as one of the major causes of traffic accident as those driving under the influence of alcohol barely comply with road safety rules and regulations. This study investigated the influence of alcohol use on compliance with road safety rules among commercial motorcyclists in Southwest Nigeria. Cross sectional descriptive research of the survey type was used to conduct the study. The sample size comprised 660 registered commercial motorcyclists selected through multi stage sampling techniques. A self-developed and validated questionnaire was used to elicit information from the respondents. The reliability of the instrument was determined through Cronbach’s alpha with a reliability coefficient of 0.82. The data analysis was done using SPSS software version 19.0. The research questions were answered using descriptive analysis and correlation matrix was used to determine the association between alcohol use and factors influencing alcohol use at 0.05 level of significance. Findings showed that majority of the motorcyclists 236 (39.4%) were regular users of alcohol and a significant negative correlation (r = -0.174, p<0.05) was found between alcohol use and compliance with road safety rules and regulations. It was recommended that government under the auspices of Federal Road Safety Corps should organize sensitization through on dangers of alcohol use on safe driving to commercial drivers through motorcycle parks rallies, workshops and regular health talks. Key words: Alcohol, commercial, motorcyclists, rules, compliance.

Alcohol Use among Medical Students: Linking Knowledge as a Social Capital Defining Norms in Learning Institutions

College alcohol use continues to be a national public health issue. World Health Organization approximates that 53% of people at the age of 15 years and above, have at one time used alcohol. Alcohol is recognized and acts as ‘entrance’ to the use of other substances. The study was carried out in Kenya Medical Training College, Embu Campus. The study presents an argument that knowledge about alcohol is a social capital defining use and non-use of alcohol among medical students at Kenya Medical Training College. A Cross-sectional analytical approach was adopted for the study design. A sample of 270 students was included in the study. Data was analyzed using both descriptive (Frequencies and percentages) and inferential statistics (chi square tests and regression analysis). For objective one, the study finds a 75% prevalence rate of alcohol use among students of Embu MTC. Demographic factors influencing alcohol use include, religion (p=0.002205), program undertaken (p<0.0001) and with whom the respondent is living with (p<0.0001). The study recommends development and implementation of policies and programs aimed at addressing the widespread use of alcohol in the study site.

A cross-sectional study about socio-demographic factors and clinical characteristics of male patients with alcohol dependence syndrome

Background: Alcohol abuse is one of the major causes of death and disability globally; and a key risk factor for health, social, and economic problems in the communities. Consumption of alcohol by Indians has increased drastically due to various factors and in an unrestricted manner; and the age of initiation of drinking is progressively coming down. Objective: To determine the socio-demographic and clinical profile of the patients coming for treatment of alcohol dependence syndrome in the psychiatry department. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 50 male outpatients of alcohol dependence syndrome attending the department of psychiatry at a tertiary care hospital. Sociodemographic data and clinical details were recorded with the help of a pre-designed questionnaire. Results: Nuclear family, family history of alcoholism, unmarried status, higher educational level, unemployment, and peer pressure are the factors significantly associated with early age at first drink and age of dependence on alcohol (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Adolescents having a family history of alcoholism are a high-risk group for developing alcohol dependence and should be targeted for intervention strategies. Community based-longitudinal studies are needed to understand multiple factors influencing alcohol use and recommend targeted preventive measures.
 Keywords: Alcohol, Alcohol dependence syndrome, Peer pressure, Intoxication, Socio-demographic factors

A Study of Substance Use In Children And Adolescents In Community Setting

Background: Substance abuse problems can be described as developing through a set of progressive stages. The adolescent period, it self is more vulnerable for beginning of various substance abuse. Adolescents usually begin to use legal drugs like tobacco, alcohol and then cannabis and other illicit drugs. Objective: To determine the socio-demographic profile of substance using children and adolescents in a community setting. Methods: 150 families were selected using systematic sampling with random start from a well-defined community. The study was carried out in two phases. In phase I 74 families were identified who had children in this age group 10-19 yrs. There were total of 141 children in this age group. They were further screened for substance use through interview of parents and children. In Phase II, Children who had been found to have used some psychoactive substance were taken in the case study group. Similar number of children who were not using any psychoactive substance was selected for control group from the same 150 families. Both the study group children and control group children were evaluated in detail for Sociodemographic information & nature and extent of substance use by using ICD-10 Diagnostic Criteria For Research. Results: The mean age of the both groups was comparable and males predominated (60.5%) in both group. In both groups, educational level was similar but there was higher number of children who were currently attending school in the control group. Majority of school drop-outs were seen from the study group. (57.9% as compared to 28.9% in the control group). This was statistically significant. ). The prevalence of substance use was found to be around 27%. In our study the most commonly used substance was tobacco & Mishri was the most common form used. Chewing tobacco, cigarette and gutkha were various other tobacco containing products used. Further, Mishri was more commonly used by females, while cigarette and gutkha were more commonly used by males. Of the 23 tobacco dependent children 20 were above the age of 16 years. This finding was statistically significant. (P < 0.05). Only the males were found to use alcoholic beverages and all these boys were above the age of 16 years, Beer was the most common form used. Conclusion: Study findings can be used to generate awareness in the community regarding antecedents of substance abuse and the problems arising from it. Community based-longitudinal studies are needed to understand multiple factors influencing alcohol use and recommend targeted preventive measures.

Factors influencing alcohol use among female in-school adolescents in the Western Cape, South Africa

The increasing levels and more frequent use of alcohol among females, especially those in younger age groups, is a worldwide concern. An in-depth understanding of this phenomenon is, however, limited. This study aimed to explore the factors influencing alcohol use among female adolescent students as guided by the ecological systems theory of Bronfenbrenner. Data were collected from 25 female high school students in Grade 9 in the Western Cape, South Africa, using five individual semi-structured interviews and two focus group discussions with each group comprising 10 students. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The findings of the study indicated that participants begin drinking at an early age and due to low self-esteem, which makes them prone to peer influence. Female adolescents are also influenced by various factors residing within the microsystem (family members and peers), mesosystem (lack of parental attention, weak mother-to-daughter relationship, influence of peers and dating partners), exosystem (media advertisement and lifestyle of celebrities), macrosystem (change in societal roles), and chronosystem (transition to higher education). Interventions are needed in schools to help female adolescents resist peer pressure and cope with the changing environment of high school. Also, parents should be educated on the influence of their drinking behaviour on their children in order for them to be more cautious when drinking at home. Adolescent students will benefit from educational materials on the harmfulness of alcohol use.

Socio-Ecological Influences on Adolescent (Aged 10-17) Alcohol Use and Unhealthy Eating Behaviours: A Systematic Review and Synthesis of Qualitative Studies.

Excess body weight and risky alcohol consumption are two of the greatest contributors to global disease. Alcohol use contributes directly and indirectly to weight gain. Health behaviours cluster in adolescence and track to adulthood. This review identified and synthesised qualitative research to provide insight into common underlying factors influencing alcohol use and unhealthy eating behaviours amongst young people aged 10–17. Sixty two studies met inclusion criteria. Twenty eight studies focused on alcohol; 34 focused on eating behaviours. Informed by principles of thematic analysis and meta-ethnography, analysis yielded five themes: (1) use of alcohol and unhealthy food to overcome personal problems; (2) unhealthy eating and alcohol use as fun experiences; (3) food, but not alcohol, choices are based on taste; (4) control and restraint; and (5) demonstrating identity through alcohol and food choices. Young people faced pressure, reinforced by industry, to eat and drink in very specific ways, with clear social consequences if their attitudes or behaviour were deemed unacceptable. No qualitative studies were identified with an explicit and concurrent focus on adolescent eating behaviours and alcohol consumption. Further exploratory work is needed to examine the links between food and alcohol in young people’s emotional, social and cultural lives.

Alcohol Use Disorder among Patients Suffered from Road Collisions in a Vietnamese Delta Province

Traffic collisions have continuously been ranked amongst the top causes of deaths in Vietnam. In particular, drinking has been recognized as a major factor amplifying the likelihood of traffic collisions in various settings. This study aims to examine the relationship between alcohol use and traffic collisions in the current context of Vietnam. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 413 traffic collisions patients in six health facilities in the Thai Binh Province to investigate the level of alcohol consumption and identify factors influencing alcohol use among these patients. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) scale was used to determine the problematic drinking behavior of the participants. The percentage of patients having problematic drinking was more than 30%. Being male, having a high household income, and working as farmer/worker were risk factors for alcohol abuse. People causing accidents and patients with a traumatic brain injury had a higher likelihood of drinking alcohol before the accidents. This study highlights the necessity of more stringent laws on reducing drink-driving in Vietnam. In addition, more interventions, especially those utilizing mass media like educational campaign of good behavior on social networks, are necessary to reduce alcohol consumption in targeted populations in order to decrease the prevalence and burden of road injuries.

Alcohol use and its influencing factors among undergraduate students in Uttar Pradesh University of Medical Science in district Etawah, India

Background: Alcohol is most widely used substance abuse in college students. Use of alcohol is common in both urban as well as in rural area. In our country, there are many influencing factor for Alcohol use like peer pressure, friends, family and social media etc. Alcohol use has also effect on personal level, family as well as our society. So keeping these facts in view, the above mentioned study is being conducted. Aim of the study is to assess the use of alcohol among college going students and to find out factors influencing alcohol use. The study of objectives was done to assess the use of alcohol among college students, to correlate alcohol, use with socio-demographic profile of students and assessment of factors leading to use of alcohol.Methods: The Present study was college based cross sectional study carried out in UP University of Medical Sciences, Saifai, Etawah for a period of one month in January2017. Consent from dean of the college was taken. A total of two hundred undergraduate students were randomly selected as study subjects.Results: Out of total two hundred participants, majority were male. Prevalence of alcohol use in this study was 20%. Most of the participants use alcohol on monthly basis (i.e. 55% and most of them (i.e. 80%) were influenced by their friends to take alcohol. Among them 61% was using alcohol for fun.Conclusions: Parents should have the responsibility for increasing communication with their children. There are need to support the students by fathers and mothers to lower the regular alcohol drinking habit.

THE LATE-LIFE AND THE LIFE-LONG: EXPLORING PERSPECTIVES OF FACTORS SHAPING OLDER ADULTS’ ALCOHOL USE

The number of older people drinking alcohol is increasing as the population ages. Risks of harm from drinking increase with age as alcohol effects health conditions and medications that are common in later life. Drinking can play a central role in older people’s social and leisure lives. Older people must negotiate perceived risks against benefits of drinking in determining their alcohol use, and other external factors may influence their drinking practices. Care providers are expected to support older people in making informed decisions around their drinking. This paper aims to explore older adults’ and their care providers’ perspectives of factors influencing alcohol use in later life and how these are determined. Twenty-four older adults and 35 care providers across the North of England took part in semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Data were analysed thematically, applying principles of constant comparison. Older people’s drinking routines developed across the life course and in response to late-life transitions. Alcohol was perceived as an earned and accessible pleasure, contributing to quality of life, which older people prioritised over longevity. Risks of future consequences were perceived as less tangible than symptoms or problems. Normalisation and moral positioning served to justify older people’s drinking practices. Risks attached to late-life drinking may be overlooked by older people and their care providers. Structured assessment of older people’s drinking could help identify undetected risks in older people’s alcohol use. Social, routine and moralistic justifications for risky alcohol use must be challenged to address risky drinking amongst older people.

Prevalence and Factors Influencing Alcohol Use in Pregnancy among Women Attending Antenatal Care in Dodoma Region, Tanzania: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Alcohol use during pregnancy is high despite the well-established evidence on its adverse pregnancy outcomes and poor child development. Early identification and behavioural modification are of great significance. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of alcohol use during pregnancy among women in Dodoma region. Methods 365 randomly selected pregnant women attending antenatal care services in Dodoma region were included. Structured questionnaires were used to assess sociodemographic characteristic and alcohol use. Both descriptive and inferential analyses were used to estimate the prevalence and independent relationships of factors associated with alcohol use in pregnancy, respectively. Results Results showed a prevalence of 15.1% out of the 365 women attending antenatal services in Dodoma region. Prepregnancy alcohol use and having relatives who use alcohol were associated with alcohol use (AOR= 5.19; 95% CI: 4.791-34.867 and AOR=1.57; 95% CI: 1.393-6.248), respectively. Moreover, other associated factors included low education status (AOR=10.636; 95% CI: 1.89-19.844), making local brews as a source of income (AOR=11.44; 95% CI: 1.008-19.86), and not having had complications in previous pregnancies (AOR=4.93; 95% CI: 1.031-23.59). Conclusion There is a significantly high prevalence of alcohol use during pregnancy in Dodoma. Social networks and low social, economic status were associated with alcohol use in pregnancy. There is a need for public health interventions to address alcohol use particularly targeting women of reproductive age with low socioeconomic status.

Cloninger's Temperament Dimensions and Longitudinal Alcohol Use in Early Midlife: A Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 Study.

Temperament is theorized to be an important factor contributing to the development of alcohol use disorder, but longitudinal studies on how temperament is related to alcohol use among general population in midlife are scarce. Our aims were to investigate potentially reciprocal associations between temperament and changes in alcohol use from age 31 to 46 using prospective birth cohort data. Within the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966, alcohol use and temperament were studied at ages 31 and 46. Participants (N=5,274) were classified into moderate users, abstainers and heavy users based on their mean alcohol use (g/d). Additionally, participants were categorized as steady users, reducers, or increasers. Multinomial regression analyses were conducted with Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) scores as factors influencing alcohol use using moderate and stable users as reference groups. Reciprocity of relations was assessed with cross-lagged structural equationmodeling. Temperament and alcohol use are rather stable in midlife. Novelty seeking (NS) predicted heavy use (OR=1.4; CI: 1.3 to 1.6 for men, OR=1.3; CI: 1.1 to 1.5 for women) and increasing use (OR=1.2; CI: 1.1 to 1.4 for men, OR=1.1; CI: 1.0 to 1.3 for women), whereas low NS predicted abstaining among women (OR=0.7; CI: 0.6 to 0.8). High harm avoidance (HA) predicted abstaining (OR=1.3; CI: 1.1 to 1.5) for men. Low persistence (P) among men predicted both abstaining (OR=0.9; CI: 0.7 to 0.98) and heavy use (OR=0.9; CI: 0.8 to 0.98). Among women, low reward dependence (RD) predicted heavy use (OR=0.8; CI: 0.7 to 0.9). Among TCI scores, only NS predicted increasing use in the cross-lagged models. Temperament has an impact on alcohol use in midlife. Of the TCI dimensions, only NS seems to predispose to increased alcohol use and problem use throughout life. Additionally, RD among women and P among men are significant factors from a life-course perspective. Our results did not support Cloninger's theory on type I alcoholism, as HA showed no relation to problematic alcohol use in midlife.

Prevalence of Alcohol Consumption and Factors Influencing Alcohol Use Among the Youth in Tokorni-Hohoe, Volta Region of Ghana

<i>Background</i>: Alcohol use still remains a great public health concern. However, the youth are the higher risk group in terms of alcohol consumption and its associate complications. Alcohol consumption among the youth is on the rise and Ghana cannot be exempted due to easy accessibility and availability of alcoholic beverages to the youth. According to Ghana Demographic and Health survey, alcohol consumption is highest among young people between the ages of 15-39 years than other age group; however, little information on alcohol consumption has made the problem unknown, limiting appropriate measures to control its use. This study measured the prevalence of alcohol consumption and associated factors among the youth in Tokorni-Hohoe. <i>Methods</i>: The study employed cross sectional study using quantitative method to sample 316 respondents. Random and systematic sampling techniques were used to sample respondents. Structured questionnaire was used to collect relevant information from respondents. The analysis was performed using StataSE 12. <i>Results</i>: The prevalence of alcohol consumption among the youth is 43%. Both males and females engage in alcohol use but more males were found to use alcohol than females. Alcohol consumption was highest among the age group of 20-25 years. The major factors influencing the use are peer influence (30.8%) and advertisement (20.3%). All the socio-demographic characteristics except religion (<i>p</i>=0.011) and occupation (<i>p</i>=0.001) were found not to be strongly associated with alcohol consumption. Reasons given by the youth for consuming alcohol are to have fun and to stimulate their appetite for food. <i>Conclusions</i>: Alcohol use is highly prevalent among the youth in Tokorni-Hohoe and therefore interventions to prevent its use should be more focus on the youth because of their vulnerability. Advertisement on alcohol use must be control by the appropriate institutions.

Impact of Family Level Factors on Alcohol Drinking in Primary School Children

The aim of our study was to identify and analyze selected factors influencing alcohol use among primary school children aged 8 to 15 years in the academic year 2009/10. The sample consisted of children from 28 primary schools. Data of this cross-sectional study were collected using questionnaires. Chi-Square test was used to test differences in proportions of observed phenomena between boys and girls. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the influence of selected factors on the variable "child's alcohol drinking per week". The sample consisted of 2,494 respondents (52% of boys, 48% of girls). In the study group 78% of all respondents (95% CI=76-80) drank alcohol infrequently (less than once a week) or did not drink alcohol at all, and 22% of respondents (95% Cl=20-24) drank alcohol at least once a week. More boys than girls considered alcoholic beverages such as beer, wine and spirit as quite easily available. We performed the model of multivariate logistic regression analysis using the independent variables: age of respondents, gender of respondents, mother's alcohol drinking, father's alcohol drinking, sibling's alcohol drinking, parental rules, parental control, and mental support from parents (if their children have problems) to identify their effect on the dependent variable - child's alcohol drinking per week. We found out that mother's alcohol drinking and a lack of mental support from parents did not have a statistically significant influence on child's alcohol drinking per week. The results of our study point to the fact that it is necessary to focus on the prevention of alcohol drinking in general and among school children in particular. We recommend greater control of the sale of alcoholic beverages, so as to prevent the purchase by people under 18 years of age.

Factors Influencing Alcohol Use Among Sexual Minority Women in a Non-Urban Community: A Mixed Methods Study

The present study used a mixed methods design to explore factors influencing alcohol use among sexual minority (lesbian, bisexual, queer, and same-sex attracted) women in a non-urban community. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 15 self-identified sexual minority women regarding the physical, social, and emotional context of two recent incidents of alcohol use. To compliment the interview responses, participants also completed the Lesbian Internalized Homophobia Scale and Psychological Sense of LGBT Community Scale. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the interview data, revealing patterns of alcohol use and influences on drinking across various contexts. The majority of reported incidents met the criteria for hazardous drinking and occurred in public LGBTQ settings. The top reported influences on alcohol use were to decrease anxiety, ease social interaction, enhance enjoyment and fun, and peer pressure to fit in. Patterns across drinking settings, influences, internalized heterosexism, and psychological sense of community are outlined. Implications for practice, research, and communities are discussed.

‘You're Less Complete if You Haven't Got a Can in Your Hand’: Alcohol Consumption and Related Harmful Effects in Rural Australia: The Role and Influence of Cultural Capital

This study aimed to explore rural Australians' perceptions of social and cultural factors influencing alcohol use in their communities. Semi-structured interviews exploring rural community key informants' (n = 46) perceptions of social and cultural factors influencing alcohol consumption in their community were conducted. A narrative analysis identified cultural capital as a salient concept for explaining how rural community life is created and sustained via drinking practices. Themes relating to participants' accounts of learning to drink, normal drinking; exclusion because of not drinking and problematic drinkers are described. In rural communities, beliefs and values about drinking as a positive social practice are transmitted, rewarded and reproduced across multiple groups and settings, reinforcing that drinking is an integral part of Australian rural culture. Drinking is so important that engaging in drinking practices creates and sustains cultural capital. As a result, alcohol-related harm is of little concern to rural dwellers.

Predicting alcohol use among young adults

Factors influencing alcohol use among young people were studied using a questionnaire administered in Oklahoma and Wisconsin to 257 single males and 358 single females between the ages of 17—24. Predictors were broken down into the sets of demographics, family, religion, peer behavioral standards, approval of deviance, value of love and pleasure, and sex role variables. It was hypothesized that the predictors for alcohol use in males would differ from that of females. Data were analyzed separately for both male and female subjects. The multiple regression analysis found that the blocks of demographics, religion, peer behavioral standards, and approval of deviance were positive predictors for the use of alcohol in both males and females. The blocks, value of love and pleasure, and sex role variables were not found to be predictors of alcohol use in both males and females. Block number two (family) was found to be a predictor for females use of alcohol but not for males.