Hazardous alcohol use among doctors in a Tertiary Health Center

BACKGROUND: Doctors have been identified as one of the key agents in the prevention of alcohol-related harm, however, their level of use and attitudes toward alcohol will affect such role. AIM: This study is aimed at describing the pattern of alcohol use and the predictors of hazardous drinking among hospital doctors. SETTING: Study was conducted at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey involving all the doctors in the teaching hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All the consenting clinicians completed a sociodemographic questionnaire and alcohol use was measured using the 10-item alcohol use disorder identification test (AUDIT) and psychological well-being was measured by the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Statistical analyses were done using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 16. Chi-square tests with Yates correction were used to describe the relationship between respondent's characteristics and AUDIT scores as appropriate. RESULTS: There were a total of 122 participants. Eighty-five (69.7%) of them were abstainers, 28 (23%) were moderate drinkers, and 9 (7.3%) hazardous drinkers. With the exception of age, there was no significant relationship between sociodemographic status, years of practice, specialty of practice, and hazardous alcohol use. Experiencing stress or GHQ score above average is significantly associated with hazardous drinking. CONCLUSION: Hazardous drinking among hospital doctors appears to be essentially a problem of the male gender, especially among those older than 40 years. Stress and other form of psychological distress seem to play a significant role in predicting hazardous drinking among doctors.