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

A study on socio-demographic factors of alcoholics attending a deaddiction centre in Kannur district Mohandas B.1, Vivek S.2*, Ratheesh R.3, Venugopalan P. P.4, Sarada A. K.5, Suprej K.6, Sobhith V. K.7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.17511/ijphr.2019.i5.01 1 Bindu Mohandas, Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine, KMCT Medical College, Calicut, Kerala, India. 2* Vivek S., Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Al-Azhar Medical College, Thodupuzha, Kerala, India. 3 Ratheesh R, Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, KMCT Medical College, Calicut, Kerala, India. 4 Venugopalan P. P., Former Professor & HOD, Department of Community Medicine, Kannur Medical College, Anjarakandy, Kerala, India. 5 Sarada A. K., Former Professor & HOD, Department of Community Medicine, Kannur Medical College, Anjarakandy, Kerala, India. 6 Suprej K, Statistical Assistant, All India Institute Of Medical Sciences, Delhi, India. 7 Sobhith V. K., Former Medical Social Worker, Department of Community Medicine, Kannur Medical College, Anjarakandy, Kerala, India.


Introduction
Alcohol is considered as a social symbol for many in the population. But alcohol consumption contributes to 3 million deaths each year globally as well as to the disabilities and poor health of millions of people.
Harmful use of alcohol is responsible for 5.1% of the global burden of disease. It is accountable for 7.1% and 2.2% of the global burden for males and females respectively [1]. Alcohol is a major risk factor for non communicable diseases (NCDs) including cancers and cardiovascular diseases, communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, violence and injuries. Globally alcohol consumption is the seventh leading risk factor For premature death and disability [2]. In India around 20-30% of adult males and 5% of females use alcohol. While alcohol is used traditionally by men, its use by women is now on the increase.
Issues of concern include pay-day drinking, domestic violence, alcohol's contribution to poverty, illicit and home-brewed alcohol, and reduction in average age of initiation [3]. The health problems for which alcohol is responsible are only a part of the total social damage which includes family disorganization, crime and loss of productivity [4].
Alcohol abuse is one of the main killers of young men in India today. However, its real impact is on the social and family dynamics that underlie its communities. In India household expenditure on alcohol varies between 3% to 45% of income. Besides money spent on alcohol, a heavy drinker also suffers other adverse economic effects. These include reduced wages (because of missed work and lowered efficiency on the job), increased medical expenses for illness and accidents, legal cost of drink-related offences, and decreased eligibility of loans. Industry association sources estimate that 15% to 20% of absenteeism and 40% of accidents at work are due to alcohol. Alcohol use among industrial workers is increasing and this has led to an increase in alcohol-related sickness and absenteeism. The annual loss due to alcohol-related problems in workplaces is between Rs 70 000to 80 000 million.
Hazardous drinking in a male industrial worker population is significantly associated with severe health problems, such as head injuries and hospitalizations. Also, the country's road research institute estimates that 25% of road accidents are alcohol-related, one third of the drivers on the highway are under the influence of alcohol and 20% of accident-related head injury victims seen in emergency rooms of hospitals have consumed alcohol prior to the accident. Alcohol involvement is known to be present among 15% to 20% of traumatic brain injuries at the time of injury

Results
Out of the 370 male patients studied, the age of the study subjects ranged from 18 to 63 years. The mean age of the study subjects was 38.08 ± 8.46 years. The socio demographic details of the study participants are depicted in Table.1  Table 3.  (62.6%) were in the age group of 20-29 years.
When age of onset of drinking was analyzed in relation to family history, it was found that family history of alcohol consumption was significantly associated with age at initiation of drinking (p < 0.05).

Mohandas B. et al: A study on socio-demographic factors
Public Health Review -International Journal of Public Health Research 2019;6(5) The finding of this study is in agreement with the findings of Sarkar AP et al [13] and Pradeep RJ et al [14]. The most common type of alcohol consumed by the study subjects in the present study was brandy, followed by toddy. In a study by Gururaj G  There is greater need for involvement of doctors and allied health professionals including health policy-makers for organization and delivery of programmes in the areas of early identification of problems, prevention of harm from alcohol use, treatment and rehabilitation.
Integration of deaddiction services into the primary health care system will help to deal with the problem. Alcohol anonymous groups to be established, consisting of ex-addicts, who encourage those who want to give up the habit of taking alcohol. There were several limitations in the present study. First it included a smaller sample from a single institution, and design adopted was cross sectional. Also the study was limited to one geographical location so the results of the study cannot be generalized.

Conclusion
Alcohol misuse not only affects the health of the individual but also his family relationships. Also it leads to social problems, economic instability in the family and majority of the study participants were unaware about the deaddiction services.

What this study adds to the existing knowledge
Alcohol abuse is a major public health problem, a programme for increasing awareness about the hazards related to alcohol use among the members of the general community is urgently required, and it should also include the availability of deaddiction services.

Mohandas B. et al: A study on socio-demographic factors
Public Health Review -International Journal of Public Health Research 2019;6(5)