scholarly journals Factors associated with alcohol consumption patterns in a Puerto Rican urban cohort

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 464-473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Y Andrews-Chavez ◽  
Christina S Lee ◽  
Robert F Houser ◽  
Luis M Falcon ◽  
Katherine L Tucker

AbstractObjectiveThere is little research on factors associated with alcohol consumption among Puerto Ricans living in the USA; thus the aim of the present study was to examine alcohol intake patterns, and factors associated with drinking categories, in a cohort of Puerto Rican adults in Massachusetts.DesignCross-sectional study. Descriptive and polytomous logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with drinking patterns, stratified by gender.SettingGreater Boston area, MA, USA.SubjectsPuerto Rican adults (n 1292), aged 45–75 years.ResultsEight per cent of men and 39 % of women were lifetime abstainers; 40 % of men and 25 % of women were former drinkers; 31 % of men and 27 % of women were moderate drinkers; and 21 % of men and 8 % of women were heavy drinkers. Thirty-five per cent of participants reported drinking alcohol while taking medications with alcohol contraindications. After multivariable adjustment, young men were less likely than older men to be moderate drinkers. Among women, higher BMI, age, lower income and lower psychological acculturation were associated with abstention; age and lower perceived emotional support were associated with increased likelihood of former drinking; and women without v. with diabetes were more likely to be heavy drinkers.ConclusionsHigh prevalence of chronic disease, heavy drinking and alcohol use while taking medications with alcohol contraindications suggest an urgent need for better screening and interventions tailored to this rapidly growing Hispanic national subgroup. As heavy drinking appears to increase with acculturation for women, public health initiatives are needed to support appropriate alcohol use.

Author(s):  
Kochakorn Trisrivirat ◽  
Kanokporn Pinyopornpanish ◽  
Wichuda Jiraporncharoen ◽  
Lalita Chutarattanakul ◽  
Chaisiri Angkurawaranon

Objective: To determine the association between metabolic syndrome and alcohol consumption, including drinking patterns and risk of harm. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 400 participants recruited from the Outpatient Unit of the Family Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University. Physical examination and blood tests were carried out to evaluate the presence of metabolic syndrome. The drinking patterns were stratified into four levels, which were abstinence, occasional drinking, light–moderate drinking, and heavy drinking (>40 gm/day). The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test was used to evaluate the risk of harm from alcohol consumption. Results: The percentage of current drinkers was 27.3%, and most of them were men (87.2%). Waist circumference, triglyceride levels, and diastolic blood pressure were significantly higher among those with a heavy drinking habit and harmful alcohol use/dependence. High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) showed different results. A J-shaped association was found between HDL-C and drinking pattern, but an inverse relationship was indicated with the risk of harm. Metabolic syndrome was found to be significantly associated with heavy drinking (OR=4.4, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.2–15.6, p-value 0.021) and the harmful use/dependent categories (OR=5.0, 95% CI 1.1–23.1, p-value 0.039). Conclusion: The results suggest that alcohol drinking tends to be associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome. This condition should be screened regularly especially in those with heavy drinking or at-risk drinking habits.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Thompson ◽  
Munir Pirmohamed

Abstract Background Understanding the relationship between occupation and alcohol use offers opportunities to provide health promotion programmes based on evidence of need. We aimed to determine associations between occupation and heavy alcohol consumption in working individuals aged 40–69 years. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using 100,817 people from the UK Biobank: 17,907 participants categorised as heavy drinkers, defined as > 35 units/week for women and > 50 units/week for men, and 82,910 drinking controls. Prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% CIs were calculated for gender-specific heavy drinking in 353 occupations using Standard Occupational Classification, V.2000. Results Seventy-seven occupations were associated with level of alcohol consumption in drinkers. The largest ratios for heavy drinkers were observed for publicans and managers of licenced premises (PR = 2.81, 95%CI 2.52–3.14); industrial cleaning process occupations (PR = 2.09, 1.33–3.28); and plasterers (PR = 2.07, 1.66–2.59). Clergy (PR = 0.20, 0.13–0.32); physicists, geologists and meteorologists (PR = 0.40, 0.25–0.65); and medical practitioners (PR = 0.40, 0.32–0.50) were least likely to be heavy drinkers. There was evidence of gender-specific outcomes with the proportion of jobs associated with heavy drinking accounted for by skilled trade occupations being 0.44 for males and 0.05 for females, and 0.10 for males and 0.40 for females when considering managers and senior officials. Conclusions In the largest study of its kind, we found evidence for associations between a wider variety of occupations and the risk of heavy alcohol consumption than identified previously, particularly in females, although causality cannot be assumed. These results help determine which jobs and broader employment sectors may benefit most from prevention programmes.


2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 433-441 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorena Uchôa Portela Veloso ◽  
Claudete Ferreira de Souza Monteiro

AIM: to identify alcohol use and the associated factors in pregnant adolescents of the municipality of Teresina-PI. METHOD: this is cross-sectional study with 256 pregnant adolescents whose data were obtained through questionnaires covering socioeconomic, pregnancy and alcohol consumption characteristics and through the application of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, an instrument developed by the World Health Organization for screening for the excessive use of alcohol. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed using the chi-square test and odds ratio. RESULTS: the study indicates a prevalence of 32.4% for alcohol use during pregnancy in adolescents. Of these, 36.1% had scores consistent with risky use. The factors associated with an increased risk of alcohol use during pregnancy are: not having a partner, living on less than 1 minimum wage, not being religious, performing up to 3 prenatal consultations, having suffered violence and alcohol use in previous pregnancies. CONCLUSION: a high prevalence of alcohol consumption by pregnant adolescents and various risk factors involved in this process were identified. These data reflect the need for the use, by nurses, of screening technologies for alcohol consumption during pregnancy and health promotion strategies among groups of adolescents.


Author(s):  
Chongo Clays Siwale ◽  
Seter Siziya

Introduction: The prevalence of alcohol consumption among adolescents is very high in Zambia, in-spite knowledge on the negative effects of alcohol consumption on adolescents. The objective of this study was to determine factors associated with alcohol consumption among secondary school students in high-cost school. Methodology: A cross-sectional study of 357 students in Grades 8 and 11 was conducted. Data were collected using structured questionnaires. The associations and correlations between explanatory variables and the outcome of interest was established using Chi-square or the Fishe's exact test. Magnitudes of association were estimated using Odds ratio. Results: The prevalence of alcohol consumption was 43.7%. Factors predictive of students' alcohol use were attitude towards alcohol consumption (AOR=3.15, 95% CI [1.04,9.56]), parental monitoring (AOR=0.69, 95% C.I [0.69, 0.94]), parental alcohol use (AOR= 1.76, 95% C.I [1.39,2.23]) and pocket money availability (AOR= 1.52, 95% CI [1.03,2.26]). Discussion: The prevalence of alcohol consumption was high. Students with positive attitudes towards alcohol consumption are 3.15 times more likely to drink alcohol compared to students with negative attitudes. Students who are highly monitored by their parents are 31% less likely to drink alcohol compared to those rarely monitored by parents. Students whose parents drink alcohol are 76% more likely to drink alcohol compared to those whose parents do not drink alcohol. Students with high amount of pocket money are 52% more likely to drink alcohol compared to those without pocket money. Conclusion and Implication for Translation: Results indicate a high prevalence of alcohol consumption. Potential interventions should focus on inclining students' attitudes against alcohol consumption, encouraging increased parental monitoring, and teaching students how to use their pocket money appropriately. Key words: • Adolescent Alcohol Consumption • Attitude towards alcohol • Parental Monitoring • Parental Alcohol Use • Pocket Money   Copyright © 2019 Siwale and Siziya. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


Author(s):  
Hai Minh Vu ◽  
Tung Thanh Tran ◽  
Giang Thu Vu ◽  
Cuong Tat Nguyen ◽  
Chau Minh Nguyen ◽  
...  

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.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 249
Author(s):  
Luca Flesia ◽  
Valentina Fietta ◽  
Carlo Foresta ◽  
Merylin Monaro

To date, the relationship between alcohol use and dating app use has been investigated mostly in conjunction with sexual activities and in homosexual men. For this reason, the aim of this study was to explore the association between dating app use and alcohol consumption among the general population. A cross-sectional study was conducted including app users, non-users, and former users: 1278 respondents completed an online ad hoc questionnaire assessing dating app use, motivations for installing dating apps, alcohol use, and demographics. Multiple logistic regression analysis was run to investigate the association between dating app use, demographic features, and alcohol consumption. Whereas educational level, age, and gender significantly contributed to the regular consumption of alcohol, dating app use did not account for a significant amount of variance between regular and not regular drinkers. However, people who installed and used dating apps with the motivation of searching for sexual partners were more likely to be regular drinkers. Among the active users, heavy app users were less likely to drink regularly. The study indicates that underlying factors (sexual aspects, motives for using the apps) and the intensity of using the apps may mediate the relationship between dating app use and alcohol use.


2005 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOHANNES C. ROTHLIND ◽  
TANYA M. GREENFIELD ◽  
ANNE V. BRUCE ◽  
DIETER J. MEYERHOFF ◽  
DEREK L. FLENNIKEN ◽  
...  

Higher rates of alcohol use have been reported in HIV+ individuals compared to the general population. Both heavy alcohol use and HIV infection are associated with increased risk of neuropsychological (NP) impairment. We examined effects of heavy active alcohol use and HIV on NP functioning in a large sample of community-residing HIV+ individuals and HIV− controls. The four main study groups included 72 HIV− light/non-drinkers, 70 HIV− heavy drinkers (>100 drinks per month), 70 HIV+ light/non-drinkers, and 56 HIV+ heavy drinkers. The heavy drinking group was further subdivided to assess effects of the heaviest levels of active alcohol use (>6 drinks per day) on NP functioning. A comprehensive NP battery was administered. Multivariate analysis of covariance was employed to examine the effect of HIV and alcohol on NP functioning after adjusting for group differences in age and estimated premorbid verbal intellectual functioning. The analyses identified main effects of heavy drinking and HIV on NP function, with greatest effects involving the contrast of HIV+ heavy drinkers and the HIV− light drinkers. Synergistic effects of heaviest current drinking and HIV infection were identified in analyses of motor and visuomotor speed. Supplementary analyses also revealed better NP function in the HIV+ group with antiretroviral treatment (ART) and lower level of viral burden, a finding that was consistent across levels of alcohol consumption. Finally, heavy alcohol use and executive functioning difficulties were associated with lower levels of self-reported medication adherence in the HIV+ group. The findings suggest that active heavy alcohol use and HIV infection have additive adverse effects on NP function, that they may show synergistic effects in circumstances of very heavy active alcohol use, and that heavy drinking and executive functioning may mediate health-related behaviors in HIV disease. (JINS, 2005, 11, 70–83.)


2015 ◽  
Vol 133 (3) ◽  
pp. 235-244
Author(s):  
Arlene de Maria Perez ◽  
Isabela Martins Benseñor

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: The lifestyle of military personnel has been little studied in Brazil. This study evaluated the frequencies of tobacco and alcohol use, sexual behavior and mental health among military students.DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study at the Police Academy, in São Paulo.METHODS: Students answered a questionnaire about tobacco use, alcohol consumption, sexual behavior and common mental disorders (CMDs). To analyze associations among the frequencies of smoking and alcohol use, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and CMDs during the undergraduate years, we built a multinomial logistic regression model adjusted for age and sex.RESULTS: All 473 students were invited to participate and 430 (90.9%) agreed (10.5% were women). Most were white (76.6%), aged < 30 years, from the upper middle class (78.1%). The frequency of smoking was 6.5%, alcohol consumption 69.3%, STDs 14% and CMDs 15.6%. The use of condoms was low. Fourth-year students presented a lower odds ratio (OR) for STDs than the first-year students: 0.44 (95% confidence interval: 0.22-0.90). Third-year students presented a lower OR for CMDs than the first-year students.CONCLUSION: The frequencies of smoking and CMDs were low, while the frequency of alcohol consumption was similar to that of the Brazilian population. The use of condoms was low, in comparison with previous studies with similar samples. The results suggest that there was a certain degree of protection against CMDs and STDs during the undergraduate years.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sahar Obeid ◽  
Marwan Akel ◽  
Chadia Haddad ◽  
Kassandra Fares ◽  
Hala Sacre ◽  
...  

Abstract Background To our knowledge, no research project on alexithymia has been conducted in Lebanon. The objective of this study was to assess risk factors associated with alexithymia in a representative sample of the Lebanese population. Methods This is a cross-sectional study, conducted between November 2017 and March 2018, which enrolled 789 participants from al districts of Lebanon. The Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) was used to measure alexithymia, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test to assess alcohol use, drinking patterns, and alcohol-related issues, the Rosenberg self-esteem scale to evaluate self-worth, the Hamilton depression rating scale and Hamilton Anxiety Scale to screen for depression and anxiety respectively, the Three-Dimensional Work Fatigue Inventory to measure physical, mental and emotional work fatigue respectively, the Columbia–Suicide Severity Rating Scale to evaluate suicidal ideation and behavior, the Perceived Stress Scale to measure stress, the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale to help identify a social anxiety disorder and the Quick Emotional Intelligence Self-Assessment to measure emotional intelligence. Results The results showed that 395 (50.4%) were not alexithymic, 226 (28.8%) were possible alexithymic, whereas 163 (20.8%) were alexithymic according to established clinical cutoffs. Stress (Beta = 0.456), emotional exhaustion (Beta = 0.249), the AUDIT score (Beta = 0.225) and anxiety (Beta = 0.096) were associated with higher alexithymia, whereas low emotional work fatigue (Beta = −0.114) and being married (Beta = −1.933) were associated with lower alexithymia. People in distress (Beta = 7.33) was associated with higher alexithymia scores, whereas people with high wellbeing (Beta = −2.18), an intermediate (Beta = −2.90) and a high (Beta = −2.71) family monthly income were associated with lower alexithymia compared to a low one. Conclusion Alexithymia appears to be influenced by many factors, including stress, anxiety, and burnout. To reduce its prevalence, it is important that health professionals educate the public about these factors. Further studies on a larger scale are needed to confirm our findings.


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