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Abstract #153599

Sian Griffiths, MBBChir, FRCP, Jean Kim, ScD, and Julie Chow, B. School of Public Health, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Rm 501, School of Public Health, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 85222528701, sian_griffiths@cuhk.edu.hk

Background: Globalization is likely to have influenced patterns of problem drinking in populations with traditionally low alcohol consumption levels. Methods: A random telephone survey was conducted on 9860 Hong Kong Chinese between the ages of 18-70 years. Results: The age-adjusted prevalence was 14.4% for binge drinking, 5.3% for alcohol abuse and 2.3% for alcohol dependence among males and the corresponding prevalence rates were 3.6%, 1.4% and 0.7% for females. The younger age groups showed the highest prevalence of these drinking problems. Among male binge drinkers, 18.7% reported alcohol abuse and 12.3% reported alcohol dependence whereas among female binge drinkers, 16% reported alcohol abuse and 9.9% reported dependence. Among males, bingers were more likely to be a smoker and less likely to be retired, unemployed, a student, and > 40 years of age. Alcohol abuse among men was higher among those 21-30 years of age, divorced/widowed/separated respondents and smokers and lower among the retired. Alcohol dependence was associated with being a current smoker among males. Among females, binge drinking was lower among those over 60 year old and married women but was higher among smokers. Alcohol abuse among females was inversely associated with being a student or housewife and strongly associated with being a smoker. The likelihood of alcohol dependence was lower among married women but markedly higher among smokers. Conclusions: Smoking and alcohol consumption showed strong behavioral interlinkages. The large increase in problem drinking in younger age groups portends a changing pattern of alcohol consumption with increased Westernization in China.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will learn the prevalence, age-related patterns of ever drinking, binge drinking, alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence in an urban Chinese population.
• List the sociodemographic factors associated with problematic drinking in a urban Chinese population.
• Articulate the interrelationship of binge drinking with alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence in a population with traditionally low levels of drinking.
• Prioritize resources for reducing the burden of alcohol-related health problems in a population with increasingly Westernized alcohol consumption patterns.

Keywords: Alcohol Use, Alcohol Problems

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.