Alcohol use among adults in Uganda: findings from the countrywide non-communicable diseases risk factor cross-sectional survey
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Date
2016
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Global Health Action
Abstract
There are limited data on levels of alcohol use in most sub-Saharan African countries.
Objective: We analyzed data from Uganda’s non-communicable diseases risk factor survey conducted in 2014,
to identify alcohol use prevalence and associated factors.
Design: The survey used the World Health Organization STEPS tool to collect data, including the history of
alcohol use. Alcohol users were categorized into low-, medium-, and high-end users. Participants were also
classified as having an alcohol-use-related disorder if, over the past 12 months, they were unable to stop
drinking alcohol once they had started drinking, and/or failed to do what was normally expected of them
because of drinking alcohol, and/or needed an alcoholic drink first in the morning to get going after a heavy
drinking session the night before. Weighted logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated
with medium- to high-end alcohol use.
Results: Of the 3,956 participants, 1,062 (26.8%) were current alcohol users, including 314 (7.9%) low-end,
246 (6.2%) medium-end, and 502 (12.7%) high-end users. A total of 386 (9.8%) were classified as having an
alcohol-use-related disorder. Male participants were more likely to be medium- to high-end alcohol users
compared to females; adjusted odds ratio (AOR)2.34 [95% confidence interval (CI)1.882.91]. Compared
to residents in eastern Uganda, participants in central and western Uganda were more likely to be mediumto high-end users; AOR1.47 (95% CI1.012.12) and AOR1.89 (95% CI1.312.72), respectively.
Participants aged 3049 years and those aged 5069 years were more likely to be medium- to high-end alcohol
users, compared to those aged 1829 years, AOR1.49 (95% CI1.161.91) and AOR2.08 (95%
CI1.522.84), respectively.
Conclusions: The level of alcohol use among adults in Uganda is high, and 9.8% of the adult population has
an alcohol-use-related disorder.
Description
Keywords
Alcohol use, Non-communicable diseases, WHO STEPS methodology, Sub-Saharan Africa, Uganda
Citation
: Steven Ndugwa Kabwama, Sheila Ndyanabangi, Gerald Mutungi, Ronald Wesonga, Silver K. Bahendeka & David Guwatudde (2016) Alcohol use among adults in Uganda: findings from the countrywide non-communicable diseases risk factor cross-sectional survey, Global Health Action, 9:1, 31302, DOI: 10.3402/gha.v9.31302