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Epidemiology of heavy alcohol use in Ukraine: findings from the world mental health survey.

Webb CP, Bromet EJ, Gluzman S, Tintle NL, Schwartz JE, Kostyuchenko S, Havenaar JM

Department of Psychiatry, State University of New York at Stony Brook, NY 11794-8790, USA. cwebb@notes.cc.sunysb.edu

AIMS: To describe the epidemiology of heavy alcohol use in Ukraine, using data from the world mental health (WMH) survey in Ukraine. METHODS: The WMH composite international diagnostic interview was administered in 2002 to a national probability sample of Ukrainian adults (n=4725). An algorithm for classifying heavy use in the past year was developed from self-reports about the quantity and frequency of drinking, and its convergent validity was demonstrated. Prevalence rates and socio-demographic risk factors were examined separately for men and women. RESULTS: The 12-month rates of heavy alcohol use were 38.7% in men and 8.5% in women (22.0% overall). Among heavy alcohol users, 92% of men and 52% of women consumed at least 80 g of ethanol in a typical drinking day on a monthly basis in the year before the interview. The most significant risk factors in men and women were age (26-54 years for men; 18-25 years for women), living in the Southeast region, being in the labour force whether employed or unemployed, and for men, low education and being the father of a young child. A highly significant linear relationship of number of risk factors with heavy alcohol use was found for both sexes. CONCLUSIONS: The rates for men were similar to those reported in a Russian national survey with the exception of Southeast Ukraine where the rate was >10% higher. The highest rates were among men who were middle-aged, fathers and unemployed. Future prospective studies are needed to assess the impact of heavy alcohol use on Ukrainian health, mental health and occupational and social functioning.

Published 7 June 2005 in Alcohol Alcohol, 40(4): 327-35.
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