scholarly journals Bayesian modelling of population trends in alcohol consumption provides empirically based country estimates for South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Annibale Cois ◽  
Richard Matzopoulos ◽  
Victoria Pillay-van Wyk ◽  
Debbie Bradshaw

Abstract Background Alcohol use has widespread effects on health and contributes to over 200 detrimental conditions. Although the pattern of heavy episodic drinking independently increases the risk for injuries and transmission of some infectious diseases, long-term average consumption is the fundamental predictor of risk for most conditions. Population surveys, which are the main source of data on alcohol exposure, suffer from bias and uncertainty. This article proposes a novel triangulation method to reduce bias by rescaling consumption estimates by sex and age to match country-level consumption from administrative data. Methods We used data from 17 population surveys to estimate age- and sex-specific trends in alcohol consumption in the adult population of South Africa between 1998 and 2016. Independently for each survey, we calculated sex- and age-specific estimates of the prevalence of drinkers and the distribution of individuals across consumption categories. We used these aggregated results, together with data on alcohol production, sales and import/export, as inputs of a Bayesian model and generated yearly estimates of the prevalence of drinkers in the population and the parameters that characterise the distribution of the average consumption among drinkers. Results Among males, the prevalence of drinkers decreased between 1998 and 2009, from 56.2% (95% CI 53.7%; 58.7%) to 50.6% (49.3%; 52.0%), and increased afterwards to 53.9% (51.5%; 56.2%) in 2016. The average consumption from 52.1 g/day (49.1; 55.6) in 1998 to 42.8 g/day (40.0; 45.7) in 2016. Among females the prevalence of current drinkers rose from 19.0% (17.2%; 20.8%) in 1998 to 20.0% (18.3%; 21.7%) in 2016 while average consumption decreased from 32.7 g/day (30.2; 35.0) to 26.4 g/day (23.8; 28.9). Conclusions The methodology provides a viable alternative to current approaches to reconcile survey estimates of individual alcohol consumption patterns with aggregate administrative data. It provides sex- and age-specific estimates of prevalence of drinkers and distribution of average daily consumption among drinkers in populations. Reliance on locally sourced data instead of global and regional trend estimates better reflects local nuances and is adaptable to the inclusion of additional data. This provides a powerful tool to monitor consumption, develop burden of disease estimates and inform and evaluate public health interventions.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annibale Cois ◽  
Richard Matzopoulos ◽  
Victoria Pillay-van Wyk ◽  
Debbie Bradshaw

Abstract Background: Alcohol use has widespread effects on health and contributes to over 200 detrimental conditions. Although the pattern of heavy episodic drinking independently increases the risk for injuries and transmission of some infectious diseases, long-term average consumption is the fundamental predictor of risk for most conditions. Population surveys, which are the main source of data on alcohol exposure, suffer from bias and uncertainty. This article proposes a novel triangulation method to reduce bias by rescaling consumption estimates by sex and age to match country-level consumption from administrative data.Methods: We used data from 17 population surveys to estimate age- and sex-specific trends in alcohol consumption in the adult population of South Africa between 1998 and 2016. Independently for each survey, we calculated sex- and age-specific estimates of the prevalence of drinkers and the distribution of individuals across consumption categories. We used these aggregated results, together with data on alcohol production, sales and import/export, as inputs of a Bayesian model and generated yearly estimates of the prevalence of drinkers in the population and the parameters that characterise the distribution of the average consumption among drinkers.Results: Among males, the prevalence of drinkers decreased between 1998 and 2009, from 56.2% (95% CI : 53.7%;58.7%) to 50.6% (49.3%;52.0%), and increased afterwards to 53.9% (51.5%;56.2%) in 2016. The average consumption from 52.1 g/day (49.1; 55.6) in 1998 to 42.8 g/day (40.0; 45.7) in 2016. Among females the prevalence of current drinkers rose from 19.0% (17.2%;20.8%) in 1998 to 20.0% (18.3%; 21.7%) in 2016 while average consumption decreased from 32.7 g/day (30.2; 35.0) to 26.4 g/day (23.8; 28.9).Conclusions : The methodology provides a viable alternative to current approaches to reconcile survey estimates of individual alcohol consumption patterns with aggregate administrative data. It provides sex- and age-specific estimates of prevalence of drinkers and distribution of average daily consumption among drinkers in populations. Reliance on locally sourced data instead of global and regional trend estimates better reflects local nuances and is adaptable to the inclusion of additional data. This provides a powerful tool to monitor consumption, develop burden of disease estimates and inform and evaluate public health interventions.


Author(s):  
Víctor J. Villanueva-Blasco ◽  
Verónica Villanueva Silvestre ◽  
Manuel Isorna ◽  
Patricia Motos ◽  
Pere Blay ◽  
...  

(1) The goal of this study was to analyze the prevalence and pattern of alcohol consumption (frequency of consumption, average daily consumption, and risky consumption) before and during confinement due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the adult population and based on gender. (2) Methods: Data from 3779 individuals were collected via a set of online surveys. The AUDIT alcohol consumption questions (AUDIT-C) were used to measure the frequency of consumption, the average daily consumption, intensive consumption, risky consumption, and standard drink units. (3) Results: During confinement, the prevalence of alcohol consumption declined in both males and females, but only intensive consumption showed significant differences, with a greater reduction in males. The number of females who consumed alcohol four or more times per week doubled, whereas the number of males who did so was multiplied by a factor of 1.5; in both females and males, the percentage who presented intensive consumption doubled. The percentage of females with risky consumption was higher than that of males both before and during confinement. In addition to gender, the interaction between age and the employment situation explain consumption before and during confinement. (4) Conclusions: During confinement due to COVID-19, alcohol consumption declined in both sexes, but alcohol-risk consumers increased their frequency of use. The interaction between gender, age, and employment situation was related to these changes. These findings are relevant for guiding public health and health-risk management policies related to alcohol consumption in environmental situations similar to COVID-19.


Author(s):  
Nadine Harker ◽  
Mukhethwa Londani ◽  
Neo Morojele ◽  
Petal Petersen Williams ◽  
Charles DH Parry

In South Africa, little is known about alcohol consumption patterns, such as drinks consumed, container size, salience of alcohol price, affordability and availability, and perceptions of alcohol policies as potential predictors of heavy episodic alcohol (HED) use among young people. This paper examines predictors of HED among young people with specific consideration given to these alcohol consumption patterns. This study conducted in the Tshwane Metropole in 2014 employed multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling. Participants were between the ages 16–25 years. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Of the 287 (n = 678) participants who had used alcohol in the past six months and for whom we had complete consumption data, almost half were identified as heavy episodic drinkers (HEDs) and were significantly more likely to consume alcohol on a daily basis (p = 0.001). Having nightclub as the primary drinking location (p = 0.023) and drinking from a container size bigger than one standard drink (p = 0.014) were significant predictors for HED. HEDs were also more likely to have a perception that most people consume alcohol (p = 0.047). The results point to HED of alcohol among young people who drink in South Africa, highlighting the need for multicomponent interventions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (S1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lalitha Palaniveloo ◽  
Rashidah Ambak ◽  
Fatimah Othman ◽  
Nor Azian Mohd Zaki ◽  
Azli Baharudin ◽  
...  

Abstract Background High blood pressure or hypertension is well recognized as an important modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Several studies had indicated potassium intake has a blood pressure lowering effect. This study aimed to estimate potassium intake via 24-h urinary potassium excretion and to determine the association between potassium intake and blood pressure among adults in Malaysia. Methods Data for 424 respondents in this study were drawn from MyCoSS, a nationwide cross- sectional study conducted among Malaysians who were 18 years and above. Respondents were recruited using stratified cluster sampling, covering urban and rural areas in each state in Malaysia. Data collection was undertaken from October 2017 until March 2018. A single urine sample was collected over 24 h for quantification of potassium excreted. Information on socio-demography and medical history of the respondents were collected by interviewer-administered questionnaires. Anthropometric measurements were measured using validated equipment. BMI was estimated using measured body weight and height. Digital blood pressure monitor (Omron HBP-1300) was used to measure blood pressure. Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multivariable linear regression were used to analyze the data in SPSS Version 21. Results Mean 24-h urinary potassium excretion for the 424 respondents was 37 mmol (95% CI 36, 38). Gender and ethnicity showed statistically significant associations with 24-h urinary potassium excretion. However, potassium excretion was not significantly associated with blood pressure in this study. Conclusion Potassium intake is very low among the adults in Malaysia. Therefore, further education and promotional campaigns regarding daily consumption of potassium-rich diet and its benefits to health need to be tailored for the Malaysian adult population.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chun-Hsiang Lin ◽  
Oswald Ndi Nfor ◽  
Chien-Chang Ho ◽  
Shu-Yi Hsu ◽  
Disline Manli Tantoh ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Alcohol consumption is one of the modifiable risk factors for intracerebral hemorrhage, which accounts for approximately 10–20% of all strokes worldwide. We evaluated the association of stroke with genetic polymorphisms in the alcohol metabolizing genes, alcohol dehydrogenase 1B (ADH1B, rs1229984) and aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2, rs671) genes based on alcohol consumption. Methods Data were available for 19,500 Taiwan Biobank (TWB) participants. We used logistic regression models to test for associations between genetic variants and stroke. Overall, there were 890 individuals with ischemic stroke, 70 with hemorrhagic stroke, and 16,837 control individuals. Participants with ischemic but not hemorrhagic stroke were older than their control individuals (mean  ±  SE, 58.47 ± 8.17 vs. 48.33 ± 10.90 years, p  <  0.0001). ALDH2 rs671 was not associated with either hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke among alcohol drinkers. However, the risk of developing hemorrhagic stroke was significantly higher among ADH1B rs1229984 TC  +  CC individuals who drank alcohol (odds ratio (OR), 4.85; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.92–12.21). We found that the test for interaction was significant for alcohol exposure and rs1229984 genotypes (p for interaction  =  0.016). Stratification by alcohol exposure and ADH1B rs1229984 genotypes showed that the risk of developing hemorrhagic stroke remained significantly higher among alcohol drinkers with TC  +  CC genotype relative to those with the TT genotype (OR, 4.43, 95% CI 1.19–16.52). Conclusions Our study suggests that the ADH1B rs1229984 TC  +  CC genotype and alcohol exposure of at least 150 ml/week may increase the risk of developing hemorrhagic stroke among Taiwanese adults.


1995 ◽  
Vol 12 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 14-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sari Hanhinen

This article compares Nordic drinking habit surveys and their results — a comparison previously done in 1988. It includes all the main surveys regarding drinking habits of the adult population in the Nordic countries since 1988. In addition the analysis takes in Italy and Germany. Drinking habits are described and compared on four dimensions: the share of abstainers and drinkers, overall drinking frequency, the volume of alcohol consumption, and heavy drinking and drinking for intoxication. The study highlights the difficulties inherent in the international comparison of drinking habits. The results indicate that even though the changes in beverage preferences imply a homogenization of drinking patterns, the homogenization hypothesis proves to be wrong when comparing the results concerning the shares of abstainers, drinking frequencies or distribution of alcohol consumption between women and men. Denmark still differs from the rest of the Nordic countries in these respects, being closer to central European countries like Germany. In the other Nordic countries traditional drinking patterns seem to persist despite the changes in beverage preferences. Closest to Denmark and central European countries stands Finland, where drinking frequency has been rising and where more alcohol is consumed than in Sweden, Norway and Iceland. Looking at the previous comparison of Nordic drinking habits, it can be concluded that drinking habits are very open to changes.


2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 164-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian E Baumeister ◽  
Jonas D Finger ◽  
Sven Gläser ◽  
Marcus Dörr ◽  
Marcello RP Markus ◽  
...  

Background Poor cardiorespiratory fitness is a risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity. Alcohol consumption contributes substantially to the burden of disease, but its association with cardiorespiratory fitness is not well described. We examined associations between average alcohol consumption, heavy episodic drinking and cardiorespiratory fitness. Design The design of this study was as a cross-sectional population-based random sample. Methods We analysed data from five independent population-based studies (Study of Health in Pomerania (2008–2012); German Health Interview and Examination Survey (2008–2011); US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2000; NHANES 2001–2002; NHANES 2003–2004) including 7358 men and women aged 20–85 years, free of lung disease or asthma. Cardiorespiratory fitness, quantified by peak oxygen uptake, was assessed using exercise testing. Information regarding average alcohol consumption (ethanol in grams per day (g/d)) and heavy episodic drinking (5+ or 6+ drinks/occasion) was obtained from self-reports. Fractional polynomial regression models were used to determine the best-fitting dose-response relationship. Results Average alcohol consumption displayed an inverted U-type relation with peak oxygen uptake ( p-value<0.0001), after adjustment for age, sex, education, smoking and physical activity. Compared to individuals consuming 10 g/d (moderate consumption), current abstainers and individuals consuming 50 and 60 g/d had significantly lower peak oxygen uptake values (ml/kg/min) (β coefficients = −1.90, β = −0.06, β = −0.31, respectively). Heavy episodic drinking was not associated with peak oxygen uptake. Conclusions Across multiple adult population-based samples, moderate drinkers displayed better fitness than current abstainers and individuals with higher average alcohol consumption.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Alejandra Petino Zappala ◽  
Guillermo Folguera ◽  
Santiago Benitez Vieyra

Type 2 diabetes, one of the major causes of death and disability worldwide, is characterized by problems in the homeostasis of blood glucose. Current preventive policies focus mainly on individual behaviors (diet, exercise, salt and alcohol consumption). Recent hypotheses state that the higher incidence of metabolic disease in some human populations may be related to phenotypic decanalization causing a heightened phenotypic variance in response to unusual or stressful environmental conditions, although the nature of these conditions is under debate. Our aim was to explore variability patterns of fasting blood glucose to test phenotypic decanalization as a possible explanation of heightened prevalence for type 2 diabetes in some groups and to detect variables associated with its variance using a nation-wide survey of Argentinian adult population. We found patterns of higher local variance for fasting glycemia associated with lower income and educational attainment. We detected no meaningful association of glycemia or its variability with covariates related to individual behaviors (diet, physical activity, salt or alcohol consumption). Our results were consistent with the decanalization hypothesis for fasting glycemia, which appears associated to socioeconomic disadvantage. We therefore propose changes in public policy and discuss the implications for data gathering and further analyses.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. e0254978
Author(s):  
Irene Molina-de la Fuente ◽  
Andrea Pastor ◽  
Paloma Conde ◽  
María Sandín Vázquez ◽  
Carmen Ramos ◽  
...  

Perceptions of the alcohol environment may influence alcohol consumption patterns. The purpose of this study was to describe changes in perceptions of the urban alcohol environment as experienced by residents of two districts with different socio-economic status after taking part in a Photovoice study. The study was conducted in Madrid, Spain, in a district with a high socio-economic status (HSES) and another district with a low socio-economic status (LSES). A Photovoice project was conducted with 26 participants divided into four groups based on sex and district. Groups met over five sessions in which they discussed photographs taken by the participants themselves on the subject of alcohol in their neighbourhood. A qualitative, descriptive and thematic analysis of participants’ discourses was performed to explore changes in their perceptions of the alcohol environment over the project sessions. Changes in perceptions of the alcohol environment were observed in all groups over the project. The process of change varied by districts’ socio-economic characteristics and gender. Greater changes in perceptions of the alcohol environment were observed in HSES, especially among women, as the participants had a much more positive initial view of their alcohol environment. In LSES, participants showed a more critical perception of the alcohol environment from the beginning of the study, and this broadened and intensified over the course of the sessions. Changes in perceptions also varied by thematic categories, including some categories that were discussed from the start (e.g. socialising and alcohol consumption) and categories that only emerged in later sessions (e.g. alcohol advertising). Involvement in a Photovoice project has favoured a shift in the participant’s perceptions of their alcohol environment towards more critical positions, widening their scope of perceived elements and raising their awareness of specific problems, such as alcohol advertising and social role of alcohol consumption in relation to alcohol exposure.


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