Socio-economic determinants of alcohol consumption for South Africa

Aims: To examine the socio-economic factors associated with alcohol consumption in South Africa. Design: Cross-sectional study exploring the various socio-economic factors associated with alcohol consumption in South Africa. Setting: South Africans older than 15 years across the country’s nine provinces. Participants: Adult respondents of the alcohol intensity and frequency questions in Wave 4 of the National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS) (n=28 401). Measures: Alcohol, demographic, emotional, health and neighbourhood variables. Findings: White and Mixed Heritage (referred to as ‘Coloured’ in South Africa) adults were more likely to consume alcohol, while Indian and White adults were less likely to binge drink relative to African adults. Males at greater risk of depression, and those who resided in neighbourhoods where frequent alcohol and drug abuse was common, were more likely to binge drink. Females who exercised more than three times a week were also more likely to drink and binge drink. Adults who smoked were more likely to drink and binge drink relative to non-smoking adults. Accounting for binge drinkers’ household size, average monthly household spending for binge drinkers was low, which suggests that binge drinkers under-reported household alcohol spending. There was evidence of drinking and binge drinking among pregnant women. Conclusions: Binge drinking trends related to race, gender, neighbourhood, pregnancy and household alcohol spending warrant further investigation and consideration for possible future alcohol interventions in South Africa.

Binge Drinking, Alone or With Cannabis, During Adolescence Triggers Different Effects on Immediate Visual Memory in Men and Women

Background: This study examines the interaction between a history of binge drinking (BD), alone or with cannabis consumption, and the effects of acute alcohol exposure on immediate visual memory (IVM) (faces memory task, scenes memory task and IVM-IQ) in adolescents of both sexes.Method: Two hundred and ninety adolescents, grouped into refrainers, binge drinkers and subjects with a history of simultaneous BD/Cannabis co-use, received a risk dose of alcohol or a control drink.Results: Consumption Pattern (refrainers vs. binge drinkers vs. BD/Cannabis consumers) was not significant, while Treatment (acute alcohol vs. control drink) was significant in both sexes. Also, male binge drinkers' performance in the faces memory task was poorer than that of refrainers and BD/Cannabis consumers who consumed the control drink. BD/Cannabis consumers performed this task as capably as refrainers. In women, binge drinkers performed better than refrainers in scene memory and IVM-IQ tests when given alcohol, and binge drinkers performed worse than refrainers after consuming the control drink.Conclusions: Acute alcohol consumption worsens IVM. Cannabis exerts a buffering effect in men. A cognitive tolerance effect is observed in women. Exposure during adolescence to alcohol, alone or with cannabis, can trigger different cognitive effects in men and women that could endure into adulthood.

Associations of Binge Drinking and Heavy Alcohol Use on Sugar and Fat Intake in a Cohort of Southern People Living with HIV

Aims To assess whether binge drinking and heavy alcohol use are associated with increased sugar and fat consumption among a Southern cohort of people living with HIV (PWH). Methods This was a cross-sectional analysis of PWH enrolled in the New Orleans Alcohol use in HIV (NOAH) Study (n = 215). Binge and heavy drinking were identified through a 30-day Alcohol Timeline-Followback and dietary intake was assessed through a 24-hour dietary recall. Results Participants were 65.4% male, 83.3% Black, with a mean age of 49.2 ± 9.9. Heavy drinkers consumed more total calories than abstainers (P = 0.035) and low-to-moderate drinkers (P = 0.024), and binge drinkers consumed more calories than non-binge drinkers (P = 0.025). Binge and heavy drinkers had significantly higher intake of total and saturated fat in grams. However, substantially increased caloric intake among these participants led to non-significant associations for alcohol use with high total and saturated fat intake as a percent of total energy intake (%TEI). Binge drinkers had lower odds of consuming high sugar as a %TEI (odds ratio: 0.31 [0.14, 0.68]). Additionally, sugar intake predicted total and saturated fat intake, and this association was slightly higher among binge drinkers (total fat P-value: 0.12). Conclusions In this population of PWH, while binge and heavy drinking predicted higher caloric and fat intake in grams, binge drinkers were less likely to consume a high-sugar diet. This analysis suggests that interventions focused on reduced alcohol use may be especially beneficial in reducing metabolic disease burden in PWH if supplemented with information on incorporating lower energy-dense foods with reduced fat.

Effects of the COVID-19 Mitigation Measures on Alcohol Consumption and Binge Drinking in College Students: A Longitudinal Survey

To “flatten the curve” of COVID-19 contagion, several countries ordered lockdowns amid the pandemic along with indications on social distancing. These social isolation measures could potentially bring alterations to healthy behavior, including to alcohol consumption. However, there is hardly any scientific evidence of the impact of such measures on alcohol consumption and binge drinking (BD) among young adults, and how they relate to alcohol craving, stress, anxiety, and depression levels. We addressed these questions by conducting a longitudinal study with 146 Portuguese college students—regular binge drinkers (regular BDs), infrequent binge drinkers (infrequent BDs) and non-binge drinkers (non-BDs)—in three moments: before the pandemic (Pre-Lockdown), during lockdown (Lockdown) and 6 months after (Post-Lockdown). Results revealed that regular BDs decreased alcohol use during Lockdown, a change in behavior that was even greater during Post-Lockdown, when regular BDs displayed similar levels of consumption to infrequent/non-BDs. Additionally, alcohol craving and living with friends were predictive of alcohol use during Lockdown, whereas stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms did not contribute to explain changes in drinking behavior. Collectively, the results suggest that BD in young Portuguese college students can be stopped when the contexts in which alcohol intake usually takes place are suppressed, which may have important implications for future prevention and intervention strategies.

E-cigarettes and smoking in Irish teens: a logistic regression analysis of current (past 30-day) use of e-cigarettes

Aim Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use among Irish teenagers has risen significantly. In 2019, prevalence of current use (last 30 days) among 15–17-year-olds was 17.3%. We examine social determinants of adolescent e-cigarette current use. Subject and methods A stratified random sample of 50 schools in Ireland was surveyed in 2019, part of the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and other Drugs (ESPAD), with 3495 students aged 15, 16, and 17. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression [providing adjusted odds ratios (AORs)] analyses were performed using Stata version 16. Results Current e-cigarette users were more likely to be male (AOR = 0.55, 95% CI:0.32–0.96, p < .01), younger (AOR = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.17–0.67, p = < .05), to participate in sport (AOR = 2.21, 95% CI: 1.05–4.65, p < .05), to have higher-educated parents (maternal higher education: AOR = 27.54, 95% CI: 1.50–505.77, p = < .05, paternal higher education: AOR = 2.44, 95% CI: 1.00–5.91, p < .05), and less likely to consider their families better off (AOR = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.13–0.65, p < .01), or to report familial support (AOR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.64–0.95, p < .05). They were more likely to be cigarette smokers (AOR = 7.22, 95% CI: 3.97–13.12, p < .001), to report problem cannabis use (AOR = 3.12, 95% CI: 1.40–6.93, p < .01), to be ‘binge’ drinkers (AOR = 1.81, 95% CI : 1.00–3.32, p = .054), and to have friends who get drunk (AOR = 5.30, 95% CI: 1.34–20.86, p < .05). Conclusion Boys, smokers, binge drinkers, problem cannabis users, and sport-playing teenagers from higher-educated families, are at particular risk. As the number of young people using e-cigarettes continues to rise, including teenagers who have never smoked, improved regulation of e-cigarettes, similar to other tobacco-related products, is needed urgently to prevent this worrying new trend of initiation into nicotine addiction.

Title: E-cigarettes and smoking in Irish teens: A logistic regression analysis of current (past 30-day) use of e-cigarettes

Aim: Electronic cigarette use among Irish teenagers has risen significantly. In 2019, prevalence of current use (last 30 days) among 15-17-year olds was 17.3%. We examine social determinants of adolescent e-cigarette current use. Subject and Methods: A stratified random sample of 50 schools in Ireland was surveyed in 2019, part of the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and other Drugs (ESPAD), with 3,495 students aged 15, 16 and 17. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression (providing adjusted odds ratios (AORs)) analyses were performed using Stata version 16. Results: Current e-cigarette users were more likely to be male (AOR=0.55, 95% CI:0.32-0.96, p<.01), younger (AOR=0.34, 95% CI:0.17-0.67, p=<.05), to participate in sport (AOR=2.21, 95% CI:1.05-4.65, p<.05), to have higher-educated parents (maternal higher education: AOR=27.54, 95% CI:1.50-505.77, p=<.05, paternal higher education: AOR=2.44, 95% CI:1.00-5.91, p<.05), and less likely to consider their families better off (AOR=0.29, 95% CI:0.13-0.65, p<.01), or to report familial support (AOR=0.78, 95% CI:0.64-0.95, p<.05). They were more likely to be cigarette smokers (AOR=7.22, 95% CI:3.97-13.12, p<.001), to report problem cannabis use (AOR=3.12, 95% CI:1.40-6.93, p<.01), to be ‘binge’ drinkers (AOR=1.81, 95% CI:1.00-3.32, p=.054), and to have friends who get drunk (AOR=5.30, 95% CI:1.34-20.86, p<.05). Conclusion: Boys, smokers, binge drinkers, problem cannabis users, and sport-playing teenagers from higher-educated families, are at particular risk. As the number of young people using e-cigarettes continues to rise, including teenagers who have never smoked, improved regulation of e-cigarettes, similar to other tobacco-related products, is needed urgently to prevent this worrying new trend of initiation into nicotine addiction.

Assessing Intertemporal Socioeconomic Inequalities in Alcohol Consumption in South Africa

Background: This paper assesses changes in the socioeconomic inequality in alcohol consumption by exploring whether alcohol consumption (current and binge drinkers) is more prevalent among the wealthier (pro-rich) or poorer (pro-poor) group over time.Methods: Data come from the 2008, 2010/11, 2012, and 2014/15 waves of the National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS). Various equity stratifiers (sex, age, race, and rural/urban) are used to analyze the prevalence of alcohol consumption and to investigate differences in socioeconomic inequalities. Changes in socioeconomic inequality in alcohol consumption between 2008 and 2014/15 were also assessed using the concentration index.Results: Current drinkers were more concentrated among richer South Africans, while binge drinkers were concentrated among the poorer population. For current drinkers, irrespective of sex, race, age, and urban, socioeconomic inequality in alcohol consumption had become less pro-rich between 2008 and 2014/15; while inequality in binge drinking, outside of the Asian/Indian and rural categories, had become less pro-poor between 2008 and 2014/15.Conclusion: The results show evidence that binge drinking is a bigger problem among those of low-SES, young individuals, male and African populations. This paper concludes that the SA government should continue to push forward policies aiming to reduce the prevalence of binge drinking.

Association between alcohol consumption status and obesity-related comorbidities in men: data from the 2016 Korean community health survey

Background This study was performed to investigate the association between the amount of alcohol consumption or binge drinking and obesity-related comorbidities in Korean men. Methods A total of 103,048 men aged 19 years or older were investigated in the 2016 Korean Community Health Survey. The participants were divided into five groups according to the standard number of alcoholic drinks consumed per week. Results Of the total participants, 20.7% were in the high alcohol consumption group, consuming more than 28 drinks per week. After adjustment for clinical factors, high alcohol consumption was significantly associated with higher odds ratios (ORs) of obesity (OR, 1.449; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.412 to 1.591; P < 0.0001), hypertension (OR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.636 to 1.894; P < 0.0001), and dyslipidemia (OR, 1.356; 95% CI, 1.247 to 1.474; P < 0.0001). In contrast, mild to moderate alcohol consumption was associated with a lower risk of diabetes (OR, 0.799; 95% CI, 0.726 to 0.88; P = 0.0015) and high alcohol consumption was not associated with a higher risk of diabetes (OR, 0.945; 95% CI, 0.86 to 1.039; P = 0.0662). Among drinkers, except for social drinkers, binge drinking was significantly associated with higher risks of obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. Conclusions High alcohol consumption was associated with higher risks of obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia in Korean men. In contrast, high consumption was not associated with a higher risk of diabetes. In particular, binge drinkers were associated with higher risks of obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia compared to non-binge drinkers.