A study on socio-demographic factors of alcoholics attending a deaddiction centre in Kannur district

Abstract

Background: Alcoholism is a major public health problem in Kerala. It leads to serious social, mental and physical consequences. Method: A deaddiction centre based cross sectional study was done on 370 individuals using a predesigned questionnaire during the period of 2012-2013. The data was analyzed using SPSS version 17. Chi-Square test was used to find association between the study variables. Results: The study was done on 370 alcohol dependent subjects. The mean age of the study subjects was 38.08±8.46 years. 64.3% of the study subjects were from rural areas. The mean age of starting alcohol consumption was 25.46±6.6 years. Family history of alcohol consumption was present in 99 (26.8%) patients. The age at initiation of alcohol intake was significantly (p < 0.05) associated with family history. The mean duration of drinking was 12.62±7.47 years. 42.4% of the study subjects consumed brandy. 37.6% of them consumed < 200ml of alcohol per day. Peer pressure was the most common reason cited by 44.1% individuals for starting alcohol consumption. The most common reason cited by 30.5% individuals for continuing alcohol consumption was because they liked its effect. Family problems and financial problems were the most common reasons cited wanting to stop alcohol consumption. Conclusion: Alcohol use is a serious public health problem. Awareness programs regarding its harmful use should be given to the people in the community.