Pattern and Predictors of Alcohol Use Disorders in a Family Practice in Nigeria

BACKGROUND: Primary care has been identified as a key setting for the reduction of alcohol-related harm, while general practitioners are expected to play a significant role. The study aimed at identifying pattern of, and factors that are associated with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) among patients attending Family Medicine unit of State University Teaching Hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sample was selected through a random sampling from a population of patients, aged 18-65 years, attending the general medical out-patients unit of the hospital from January to April 2013. A pretested, semi-structured questionnaire was administered, incorporating sociodemographics and the diagnoses made by the attending Physician. The participants also completed the alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT) questionnaire and the patient health questionnaire-9. RESULTS: The prevalence of AUDs among the population of general out-patients was 9.7%. The AUDIT scores of the participants range from 0 to 29 with a mean of 1.3 (standard deviation = 4.08). AUDs were significantly associated with gender, level of education, occupational class, and the presence of significant depressive symptoms (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant association found for age, employment status, marital status, and religion. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of AUDs among population studied was lower compared with a similar study in similar setting, but however, significant. AUDs were predicted by gender, lower education level, occupational group, and the presence of significant depressive symptoms mostly in the mild to moderate form. Identifying the group at risk in clinical setting may go a long way in reducing the adverse effect of AUDs in our society.