Adolescent drinking onset and its adult consequences among men: a population based study from India

Abstract

Background Few population-based studies from low and middle-income countries have addressed adolescent drinking onset and its association with adult alcohol-related adverse outcomes. The aims of this study were to: (1) estimate the rate of adolescent drinking onset and its trend over time among men (2) describe demographic and socioeconomic factors associated with adolescent drinking onset; and (3) examine the association between adolescent drinking onset and adverse outcomes in later life, including hazardous or harmful alcohol use, heavy episodic drinking, alcohol dependence, injuries, and psychological distress. Methods Population based survey of men (n=1899) from rural and urban communities in northern Goa, India. Analysis addressed age of drinking onset among those who reported ever drinking in their lifetime, and drinking patterns and consequences among current drinkers. Results Adolescent drinking onset showed an increasing trend over time (p<0.001), from 19.5% for those born between 1956 and 1960 to 74.3% for those born between 1981 and 1985. Urban residence, Christian religion and low standard of living were associated with adolescent drinking onset. Adolescent drinking onset was associated with psychological distress (OR 2.82; 95% CI 1.41–5.63), alcohol dependence (OR 2.56; 95% CI 1.79–3.68), lifetime history of alcohol related injuries (OR 3.07; 95% CI 1.16–8.14), alcohol related injuries during the past year (OR 3.04; 95% CI 1.35–6.81), and a Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) score ≥ 8 indicating hazardous or harmful alcohol use (OR 1.9; 95% CI 1.17–3.08) in adulthood. Conclusions This study among men in Goa, India suggests a substantial increase in adolescent drinking onset in more recent birth cohorts. Consistent with other countries, adolescent drinking onset increased the likelihood of lifetime alcohol dependence, hazardous or harmful alcohol use, alcohol related injuries, and psychological distress. These findings highlight the need for policies and programs to delay drinking onset in India.

Prevalence of Alcohol Consumption and Factors Associated with the Alcohol Use among the Youth of Suryabinayak Municipality, Bhaktapur

“…Results showed that majority of the respondents (38.6%) were found to consume alcohol 1-3 times a year. Among current drinkers, the overall proportion who had consumed alcohol in the past 30 days was almost third-fourth (73.6%), with the highest proportion (55%) in male [14][15][16][17][18].…”

The Systematic Development and Pilot Randomized Evaluation of Counselling for Alcohol Problems, a Lay Counselor‐Delivered Psychological Treatment for Harmful Drinking in Primary Care in India: The PREMIUM Study

“…India, the target of market expansion by producers of alcoholic beverages (Benegal, 2005; Caetano and Laranjeira, 2006), has been experiencing an increase in alcohol availability/consumption, lowering of the age of drinking onset, and higher levels of alcohol‐related problems (Pillai et al., 2014; Prasad, 2009). …”

“…A LCOHOL USE DISORDERS (AUD), the leading causes of the global burden of disease (Whiteford et al, 2013), cause large costs to societies attributable to health care and social harm (Rehm et al, 2009;WHO Global InfoBase Team, 2005). India, the target of market expansion by producers of alcoholic beverages (Benegal, 2005;Caetano and Laranjeira, 2006), has been experiencing an increase in alcohol availability/consumption, lowering of the age of drinking onset, and higher levels of alcohol-related problems (Pillai et al, 2014;Prasad, 2009). AUD range from hazardous drinking, to harmful drinking and ultimately to alcohol dependence (Reid et al, 1999).…”

Alcohol Consumption Among Adolescents in Brcko District Bosnia and Herzegovina: Results From a Cross-Sectional Population-Based Study

“…This high level of alcohol consumption in public places leads to the conclusion that society as a whole is highly tolerant of adolescents regarding consumption of alcohol, or even supports it. The results obtained indicating that adolescents start consuming some form of alcoholic beverage at an early age are worrying, because it is well-known that early consump-tion of alcohol leads in later life to the more frequent development of alcoholism (14,15,19), which endangers the social situation of individuals and families, and also causes a great deal of harm to society as a whole.…”

“…Also, many research studies have indicated a link between alcohol consumption in adolescence and violent and aggressive behaviour (5,6), risk factor for injuries (7,8), traffic accidents (9), risky sexual behaviour (10,11), poor school achievement (12,13), and a greater risk for the development of alcohol dependency and psychological distress later in life (14,15).…”