Prevalence of alcohol use disorders and associated factors: a population-based study using AUDIT in southern Brazil

• Published in: Addiction (Abingdon, England) Vol. 98; no. 6; pp. 799 - 804
• Main Authors: Beria, J U, Mendoza-Sassi, R A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Science Ltd 01-06-2003; Blackwell
• Subjects: Addiction; Addictive behaviors; Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alcohol; alcohol dependence; Alcohol related disorders; alcohol use disorder; Alcohol-Related Disorders - epidemiology; Alcohol-Related Disorders - etiology; Alcoholism; Alcoholism and acute alcohol poisoning; AUDIT; Biological and medical sciences; Brazil; Brazil - epidemiology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Demography; Drug addiction; Female; Health; Humans; Logistic Models; Male; Medical sciences; Mental Disorders - psychology; Mental health; Middle Aged; Prevalence; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Risk Factors; Sex Factors; Smoking; Smoking - adverse effects; Social Class; Social problems; Socioeconomic status; Toxicology; South America; Brazil; America; Human; Survey; Health policy; Prevalence; Alcoholism; Cross sectional study; Epidemiology; Public health
• ISSN: 0965-2140; 1360-0443
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1360-0443.2003.00411.x

ABSTRACT
Aims  To assess the prevalence of potential alcohol use disorders and associated factors using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT).
Design  Cross‐sectional study.
Setting  A town in southern Brazil.
Participants  A representative sample of 1260 people aged 15 and over.
Measurements  Demographic, socioeconomic, smoking habit and mental health data were collected. Logistic regression was used in the multivariate analysis, and odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.
Findings  Overall prevalence of alcohol use disorder was 7.9%, with 14.5% prevalence among men and 2.4% among women. The risk of alcohol misuse increased across social class (P linear trend = 0.03) and compared with the highest classes (A and B), groups C through E had ORs of 1.48, 1.51 and 2.36, respectively. Males had an OR of 6.89 (CI 3.61–13.16) compared with women. A linear trend was found (P = 0.001) between smoking categories, and smokers (OR 3.27; CI 1.91–5.58) and ex‐smokers (OR 1.30; CI 0.56–2.98) were at higher risk than non‐smokers. Those with minor psychiatric disorders had a 2.48 OR (CI 1.35–4.56) of presenting a positive test.
Conclusions  The AUDIT detected a high prevalence of potential alcohol use disorders in the population sampled. Those identified are potential targets for preventive measures implemented through health policies.