Socioeconomic inequalities in alcohol use and some related consequences from a household perspective in Vietnam

Abstract

Introduction and Aims Alcohol‐related harm reduction may target individuals, their households or communities. This study investigates the prevalence of and socioeconomic inequalities in alcohol use and alcohol‐related consequences (injury, accident, property loss and interpersonal violence) at the family‐level. Designs and Methods A cross‐sectional survey of 2394 households was conducted in eight provinces from six socioeconomic regions and two metropolitan cities in Vietnam. Family‐level alcohol use and injury were computed from individual data, while other measures were on a household basis. Unstandardised and indirectly standardised concentration index was used to measure degree of expenditure‐based inequality in alcohol use and its consequences. Results Over the previous 12 months, 88.5% and 46.2% of households had at least one current‐drinker and one heavy episodic drinking person, and in 41.7% the heavy episodic drinking person was the breadwinner. About 5.3% of households suffered alcohol‐related injury, accident or property loss; 11.4% reported alcohol‐related interpersonal violence. Poor and near‐poor households suffered the double‐burdens of both having heavy episodic drinking person and alcohol‐related harm. A modest socioeconomic gradient was observed with all types of drinker, more concentrated among higher living‐standard households, especially in urban areas. However, there was a persistent high‐level inequality disadvantaging lower living‐standard families, especially in rural areas, in suffering all measured alcohol‐related harms. Discussion and Conclusions Alcohol use and alcohol‐related consequences are highly prevalent in Vietnam. Lower socioeconomic households, especially in rural areas, are important target groups for alcohol‐related harm prevention and reduction interventions. The concentration index appeared to be a useful measure of inequalities in alcohol‐related harms.

Integrated Behavioral Health Care in Viet Nam: Examples from the Hanoi Bach Mai Hospital of Patients with Hypertension

“…Tobacco use prevalence was 20.7% for current tobacco smokers or smokeless tobacco users and 4.1% for daily tobacco use and problem drinking. Alcohol consumption is on a sharp rise in Viet Nam with an increase in alcohol consumption per capita from 2003-2005 from 3.1 liters to 8.3 liters in 2015-2017 35 . Alcohol use prevalence was 80.3% for males and 11.2% for females aged 24-69 years old, with 44% of the males engaged in heavy episodic drinking 35 .…”

“…Alcohol consumption is on a sharp rise in Viet Nam with an increase in alcohol consumption per capita from 2003-2005 from 3.1 liters to 8.3 liters in 2015-2017 35 . Alcohol use prevalence was 80.3% for males and 11.2% for females aged 24-69 years old, with 44% of the males engaged in heavy episodic drinking 35 . The WHO reported that 8.9% of males and 0.9% of females have an alcohol use disorder.…”

Alcohol consumption among adults in Vietnam: prevalence, patterns, and its determinants

“…Over the last few years, Vietnam has become one of the largest consumers of alcohol in the world, with a high prevalence of alcohol-related health problems; 5.3% of households suffered an alcohol-related injury, accidents, or property losses in 2016 (Hanh et al, 2019). Vietnam faces a high burden of alcohol-attributable years of life lost the alcohol-attributable year of life lost score of 4 is higher compared with other countries in the regions (WHO, 2018).…”

“…Other studies showed a relatively high prevalence of alcohol use in Vietnam and the prevalence of current drinkers varied a lot across studies. The WHO approach to surveillance (STEPS) survey found that the prevalence of last-month drinkers increased from 37% in 2010 to 44.8% in 2015 (MOH, 2016), while Hanh et al (2019) estimate last-month drinking prevalence of 80.3%. Similarly, the last-year prevalence of alcohol use varies from 41.8% in 2016 (Pham, Tran & Tran, 2018) to 76.4% (MOH, 2016) to 88.5% in 2017 (Hanh et al, 2019).…”

“…The WHO approach to surveillance (STEPS) survey found that the prevalence of last-month drinkers increased from 37% in 2010 to 44.8% in 2015 (MOH, 2016), while Hanh et al (2019) estimate last-month drinking prevalence of 80.3%. Similarly, the last-year prevalence of alcohol use varies from 41.8% in 2016 (Pham, Tran & Tran, 2018) to 76.4% (MOH, 2016) to 88.5% in 2017 (Hanh et al, 2019). Using WHO STEPS protocols, a nationally representative population-based survey of 14,706 subjects in 2009-10 found last-year alcohol use rate of 80% and 11% among males and females in the last year, respectively and almost 40% of the men consumed alcohol in quantities considered detrimental to their health (Van Bui et al, 2016).…”