scholarly journals Alcohol consumption in Austrian physicians

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Edda Pjrek ◽  
Leo Silberbauer ◽  
Siegfried Kasper ◽  
Dietmar Winkler

Abstract Background Alcohol is one of the leading exogenous causes for adverse health consequences in Europe. The aim of the present study was to examine the pattern of alcohol consumption in Austrian physicians. Methods A telephone survey was conducted in 400 office-based physicians in Austria. Our questionnaire included the four questions of the CAGE questionnaire and questions to assess alcohol consumption on the previous day. Results 131 participants (32.8%) completed the interview. 3.8% of the subjects had a CAGE score of 2 or higher indicating a problem with alcohol, but this rate was not statistically different from numbers reported for the general population (4.1%). 46.6% of our subjects had drunken alcohol on the previous day. Compared to the general population, the rate of having drunk alcohol yesterday was higher in both gender of our sample, but the amount of alcohol drunk was significantly lower. Doctors in rural areas had drunken alcohol more frequently and in greater quantities on the previous day than those in urban areas. There was a positive correlation between age and the amount of drinking on the previous day, and between age and CAGE scores. Furthermore, subjects who had consumed alcohol yesterday obtained higher scores on the CAGE. Conclusions Our findings indicate that the rate of Austrian physicians with problematic alcohol consumption is similar to the general population. Physicians in rural areas and older doctors might be of higher risk for alcohol abuse.

Author(s):  
Katarzyna Zatońska ◽  
Piotr Psikus ◽  
Alicja Basiak-Rasała ◽  
Zuzanna Stępnicka ◽  
Maria Wołyniec ◽  
...  

(1) Background: Alcohol is a leading risk factor of premature morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study was to investigate the patterns of alcohol consumption in the PURE Poland cohort study baseline. (2) Methods: A Polish cohort was enrolled in the baseline study in 2007–2010. The study group consisted of 2021 adult participants of urban and rural areas from the Lower Silesia voivodeship in Poland (747 men and 1274 women). (3) Results: In the overall study population, 67.3% were current drinkers, 10.3% were former drinkers, and 22.4% were abstainers. Current use of alcohol products was more prevalent in men (77.2%), people living in urban areas (73.0%), and people with a higher level of education (78.0%). The percentage of current drinkers decreased with increasing age (from 73.4% in 30- to 44-year-olds to 48.8% in participants aged 64 and more). The majority of participants (89.2%) declared a low level of alcohol intake. The chance of high level of intake of alcohol was four times higher in men than in women (OR 4.17; CI 1.64–10.6). The majority of participants (54.6%) declared most frequent consumption of low-alcohol drinks (beer, wine) and 21% declared most frequent consumption of spirits. Current drinkers had almost 1.5-fold higher odds of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) than never drinkers (OR 1.49, CI 1.03–2.17; OR 1.66, CI 1.27–2.18, respectively). Former drinkers had higher odds for hypertension and CVD than never drinkers (1.73, CI 1.05–2.85; OR 1.76, CI 1.22–2.53, respectively). (4) Conclusions: In our cohort study, we observed several socio-demographic factors differentiating the patterns of alcohol consumption. The preventive programs should focus predominantly on men, people aged <45 years, and those with a higher level of education.


2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S300-S300
Author(s):  
M. Guerrero Jiménez ◽  
C.M. Carrillo de Albornoz Calahorro ◽  
A. Porras Segovia ◽  
J.A. Cervilla Ballesteros

IntroductionEpidemiological studies have reported associations between alcohol consumption or abuse and occurrence of delusional disorder (F.22) rather than in general population. Alcohol has not been described as the main cause of the delusional idea, but is an enhancer factor which would inhibit behavioral brake and executive function in prefrontal cortex facilitating the development of the existing delusional idea.HypothesisWe want to confirm this association in our influence area so this study aims to report compared frequency of alcoholism in DD versus a control group published in andalusian population.AimsTo review the literature on the potential links between alcohol abuse and delusional disorder and this relationship in general population.ResultsThis poster presents a brief but updated systematic literature review on the associations between DD and alcohol abuse. We will also present data from a relatively large case-mix of 2049 patients with the diagnosis of delusional disorder resulting from a thorough retrospective, medical-record based, assessment of patients attended in our clinical catchment area.In our sample, alcohol abuse and other drugs consumption was significantly less common in Delusional Disorder than in other psychoses.This result suggests that alcohol and other drugs consumption can be a greater importance parameter in other psychoses correlates than in delusional disorder.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.


1991 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Schofield

AbstractIn an Irish general hospital 82 admissions were given the MAST questionnaire and 331 patients were given the CAGE questionnaire for alcoholism. Of those who were given the CAGE 67 scored 1.0 or more, (maximum socre: 4.0), and 36 scored 2.0 or more, denoting a prevalence of probable alcoholism in this population of 11%.Of those scoring 3.0 or 4.0 on the CAGE, 38% of males and 100% of females claimed to have abstained from alcohol for at least one year and 54% and 100% respectively had a heavily drinking relative.Twenty-three per cent of patients tested with the CAGE and MAST questionnaires claimed never to have drunk alcohol.The number of patients diagnosed in the medical charts as having an alcohol problem was fewer than those detected by the CAGE questionnaire. It is suggested that the CAGE questionnaire may be a simple and efficient way of detecting excess alcohol consumption in a general hospital population.


2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (02) ◽  
pp. 120-126
Author(s):  
Abdol Sattar Pagheh ◽  
Mahdi Sharif ◽  
Ahmad Daryani ◽  
Jamshid Yazdani-Charati ◽  
Eisa Nazar ◽  
...  

Introduction: Intestinal parasitic infection (IPIs) is one of the most important health problems in the developing countries. Study on the prevalence of IPIs in various communities is a prerequisite for the development of appropriate control strategies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of intestinal parasites among the general population in Mazandaran province, northern Iran. Methodology: This study was conducted on 4,788 specimens collected from 17 urban areas (2,515 samples) and 34 rural areas (2,273 samples) within January-December 2016. Fecal specimens were examined by direct wet mounting, formalin-ether concentration, modified Ziehl–Neelsen, and trichrome staining methods. Results: The overall infection rate of intestinal parasite was 14.2% (680/ 4,788). Blastocystis hominis and Giardia lamblia were identified as the most frequent parasites. Protozoa, helminths, and polyparasitism (co-infections with two or more parasite species) were observed in 12.3%, 1.03%, and 0.85% of the specimens, respectively. Furthermore, IPIs showed a significant association with household income, place of residence, washing of vegetables, exposure to soil and season (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Based on the findings, parasitic infections are still a major public health concern in the north of Iran that requires special attention. Therefore, the major key to success in the prevention of IPIs is the execution of some interventions, including patient screening and treatment, public education, and improvement of sanitary conditions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Muhammad ◽  
Manideep Govindu ◽  
Shobhit Srivastava

Abstract Background Physical aging increases the sensitivity to the effects of substance use, elevating the risk for cognitive impairment among older adults. Since studies on the association of substance use with cognitive ability in later years are scant in India, we aimed to explore the factors associated with cognitive impairment especially, alcohol consumption, smoking, and chewing tobacco later in life. Methods The present research used nationally representative data from Building a Knowledge Base on Population Aging in India (BKPAI) that was conducted in 2011, across seven states of India (N=9,453). Sample distribution along with percentage distribution was calculated for cognitive impairment over explanatory variables. For finding the association between cognitive impairment over explanatory variables, binary logistic regression models were estimated. Results About 16.5 percent of older adults in rural areas consumed smoked tobacco compared to 11.7 percent in urban areas. Nearly, 23.7 percent of rural older adults consumed smokeless tobacco in comparison to 16 percent in urban areas. Alcohol consumption was high among rural residents (7.9%) than urban counterparts (6.7%). The prevalence of cognitive impairment was 62.8% and 58% among older adults from rural and urban areas respectively. Older adults who smoked tobacco had a 24 percent significantly higher likelihood to have cognitive impairment with reference to older adults who did not smoke [OR: 1.24, CI: 1.02-1.49]. Moreover, older adults who consumed alcohol had a 30 percent significantly higher likelihood to have cognitive impairment [OR: 1.02, 1.65]. It was also found that older adults who had smoked along with consuming alcohol were at risk of worse cognitive outcomes than those who neither smoke nor drink alcohol [OR: 1.56, CI: 1.21-2.00] or consumed either of them unlike consuming smokeless tobacco only. Conclusion The encouragement of older people to stop smoking and smokeless tobacco use could be considered as part of a strategy to reduce the incidence of cognitive impairment. Further, appropriate measures should be taken for the detection of early stages of cognitive decline in older individuals and efforts should be made to improve the availability and quality of care for dementing older adults.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 67
Author(s):  
Tatjana Vilibic-Cavlek ◽  
Tena Oreski ◽  
Misa Korva ◽  
Branko Kolaric ◽  
Vladimir Stevanovic ◽  
...  

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) is a neglected human pathogen associated with aseptic meningitis, severe systemic infections in immunocompromised persons, and congenital anomalies. Data on the prevalence of LCMV infections are scarce. We analyzed the seroprevalence of LCMV in continental Croatian regions. A total of 338 serum samples of professionally exposed (forestry workers, hunters, agriculture workers in contact with rodents) and non-exposed populations (general population, pregnant women) were tested for the presence of LCMV antibodies using indirect immunofluorescence assay. No participants reported recent febrile disease. LCMV IgG antibodies were detected in 23/6.8% of participants: 9.8% exposed persons and 5.1% non-exposed persons (6.1% in the general population and 3.9% in pregnant women). No participants were LCMV IgM positive. Although higher seropositivity was found in males compared to females (8.9% vs. 4.7%), inhabitants of suburban/rural areas compared to inhabitants of urban areas (9.2% vs. 4.6%), and persons who used well as a source of water compared to those who used tap (11.4% vs. 5.6%), these differences did not reach statistical significance. Results of logistic regression showed that the presence of rodents in the house/yard and cleaning rodent nests were associated with an elevated risk for LCMV infection (OR = 2.962, 95% CI = 1.019–8.607).


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Aloísia da Cruz ◽  
Marcos de Oliveira Garcias

Abstract Background: Over recent decades, Brazil’s health indicators have improved; however, access to the country’s health services is not homogeneous, with urban areas being better served than rural areas. The general objective of this work is to identify the influence of rural residence and other factors on the incidence of chronic spine problems, hypertension, and elevated levels of cholesterol in Brazil using the last Brazilian National Health Survey (NHS - 2013)) definitions and data. The analysis provided by this study contributes data that can be used to determine the probability of these three conditions occurring in Brazil and identifies the most vulnerable rural groups as defined by diet, physical activity, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Method: A logit model was estimated to identify the influence of the variables rural residence, sex, age, race, education, health insurance, work, Body Mass Index (BMI), consumption habits, and region of residence on the chronic conditions analyzed. Results: Results show that rural residents are 5.8% more likely to have chronic spine problems and 0.9% less likely to have hypertension than urban residents. The incidence of all conditions was lower in men than women. The Body Mass Index (BMI) value also influences the chance of having the conditions studied. Individuals with at least a secondary education were less affected by the analyzed conditions than those less educated. There were regional differences in these conditions’ incidence, mainly chronic spine problems and hypertension. Conclusions: The variables BMI, gender, and years of alcohol consumption had significance in all diseases analyzed. To correct underreporting issues, public policies should be directed to expand rural health services. Additionally, actions should be taken to raise the public's awareness of the effects of obesity and alcohol consumption on health.


PLoS Medicine ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. e1003877
Author(s):  
Manoj V. Murhekar ◽  
Tarun Bhatnagar ◽  
Jeromie Wesley Vivian Thangaraj ◽  
V. Saravanakumar ◽  
Muthusamy Santhosh Kumar ◽  
...  

Background India began COVID-19 vaccination in January 2021, initially targeting healthcare and frontline workers. The vaccination strategy was expanded in a phased manner and currently covers all individuals aged 18 years and above. India experienced a severe second wave of COVID-19 during March–June 2021. We conducted a fourth nationwide serosurvey to estimate prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the general population aged ≥6 years and healthcare workers (HCWs). Methods and findings We did a cross-sectional study between 14 June and 6 July 2021 in the same 70 districts across 20 states and 1 union territory where 3 previous rounds of serosurveys were conducted. From each district, 10 clusters (villages in rural areas and wards in urban areas) were selected by the probability proportional to population size method. From each district, a minimum of 400 individuals aged ≥6 years from the general population (40 individuals from each cluster) and 100 HCWs from the district public health facilities were included. The serum samples were tested for the presence of IgG antibodies against S1-RBD and nucleocapsid protein of SARS-CoV-2 using chemiluminescence immunoassay. We estimated the weighted and test-adjusted seroprevalence of IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, along with 95% CIs, based on the presence of antibodies to S1-RBD and/or nucleocapsid protein. Of the 28,975 individuals who participated in the survey, 2,892 (10%) were aged 6–9 years, 5,798 (20%) were aged 10–17 years, and 20,285 (70%) were aged ≥18 years; 15,160 (52.3%) participants were female, and 21,794 (75.2%) resided in rural areas. The weighted and test-adjusted prevalence of IgG antibodies against S1-RBD and/or nucleocapsid protein among the general population aged ≥6 years was 67.6% (95% CI 66.4% to 68.7%). Seroprevalence increased with age (p < 0.001) and was not different in rural and urban areas (p = 0.822). Compared to unvaccinated adults (62.3%, 95% CI 60.9% to 63.7%), seroprevalence was significantly higher among individuals who had received 1 vaccine dose (81.0%, 95% CI 79.6% to 82.3%, p < 0.001) and 2 vaccine doses (89.8%, 95% CI 88.4% to 91.1%, p < 0.001). The seroprevalence of IgG antibodies among 7,252 HCWs was 85.2% (95% CI 83.5% to 86.7%). Important limitations of the study include the survey design, which was aimed to estimate seroprevalence at the national level and not at a sub-national level, and the non-participation of 19% of eligible individuals in the survey. Conclusions Nearly two-thirds of individuals aged ≥6 years from the general population and 85% of HCWs had antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 by June–July 2021 in India. As one-third of the population is still seronegative, it is necessary to accelerate the coverage of COVID-19 vaccination among adults and continue adherence to non-pharmaceutical interventions.


BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. e036086
Author(s):  
Sohail Akhtar ◽  
Jamal Abdul Nasir ◽  
Aqsa Sarwar ◽  
Nida Nasr ◽  
Amara Javed ◽  
...  

ObjectiveThe purpose of this paper is to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis in order to summarise the prevalence of diabetes and pre-diabetes and their associated risk factors in Bangladesh.DesignSystematic review and meta-analysis.ParticipantsGeneral population of Bangladesh.Data sourcesPubMed, Medline, Embase, Bangladesh Journals Online, Science Direct, Scopus, Cochrane Library and Web of Science were used to search for studies, published between 1st of January 1995 and 31st of August 2019, on the prevalence of diabetes and pre-diabetes and their associated risk factors in Bangladesh. Only articles published in the English language articles were considered. Two authors independently selected studies. The quality of the articles was also assessed.ResultsOut of 996 potentially relevant studies, 26 population-based studies, which together involved a total of 80 775 individuals, were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of diabetes in the general population was 7.8% (95% CI: 6.4–9.3). In a sample of 56 452 individuals, the pooled prevalence of pre-diabetes was 10.1% (95% CI: 6.7–14.0; 17 studies). The univariable meta-regression analyses showed that the prevalence of diabetes is associated with the factors: the year of study, age of patients and presence of hypertension. The prevalence of diabetes was significantly higher in urban areas compared with rural areas, while there was no significant gender difference.ConclusionsThis meta-analysis suggests a relatively high prevalence of pre-diabetes and diabetes in Bangladesh, with a significant difference between rural and urban areas. The main factors of diabetes include urbanisation, increasing age, hypertension and time period. Further research is needed to identify strategies for early detecting, prevention and treatment of people with diabetes in the population.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42019148205.


2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (S1) ◽  
pp. 137-137
Author(s):  
Yuxuan Gu ◽  
Hengjin Dong ◽  
Minzhuo Huang

Introduction:China has the largest obese population in the world and its prevalence is increasing faster and faster. The researchers are investigating the association between the socioeconomic status (SES) and obesity in several ways. However, SES may not only play a direct impact on obesity but influences health behaviors which, in turn, affect obesity. The mediating factors have rarely been studied. This study investigates the association between SES and obesity mediated by behavioral factors among adults in China.Methods:The longitudinal data including 110,449 individuals were obtained from the eight waves of the China Health and Nutrition Survey from 1991–2011. The outcome of obesity was measured using Body Mass Index (BMI). The SES factors include education and income (low, medium and high). Mediating factors include alcohol consumption, smoking status, diet and physical activity. A variety of statistical models were used to investigate the association between SES and obesity. Age/gender-adjusted prevalence of obesity was calculated and multiple-logistic regression was used.Results:To some extent, SES influenced BMI directly, positively in men and inversely in women, respectively. SES may also operate through behavioral factors. These associations were not always straightforward, and changes in SES might create some offsetting risks. Behavioral factors including alcohol consumption, smoking status, diet and physical activity were associated with SES indicators in all groups. In addition, the prevalence was higher in urban areas than rural areas in China. Several pathways for different SES groups leading to obesity were simulated.Conclusions:Higher SES groups are more likely to have higher BMI compared to lower SES groups. Different SES groups have different significant mediating risk factors. The pathways between SES and obesity are complex. This study suggests that it is necessary to apply different interventions to different SES individuals especially focused on the disadvantaged populations according to their different behaviors and preference.


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