Alcohol dependence: Does the composition of the available beverages promote it?
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Date
2012-10Author
Kuria, Mary W
Olando, Yvonne
Type
ArticleLanguage
enMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Affordability and availability of alcohol are factors
that have been associated with alcohol dependence.
Ethanol content in the alcoholic beverages is an im-
portant determinant in alcohol dependence. Quality
control of alcoholic beverages available in the market
is important in safeguarding the health of alcohol
consumers. Few studies in Kenya have determined
the chemical composition of alcohol used by the study
participants. Objective: To determine the chemical
composition of alcoholic beverages used by a group of
alcohol dependent study participants. Design: The
study was a clinical trial with pre and post measure-
ments. Method: The CIDI and WHO-ASSIST were
administered to 188 alcohol-dependent persons at
intake and after six months. A researcher-designed
socio demographic questionnaire was also adminis-
tered at intake. Alcohol beverages were randomly
collected from the location of the study area and their
chemical composition analyzed using gas chromatog-
raphy. Results: The mean AUDIT score of the par-
ticipant was 28.6 for male and 26.6 for females. Three
of the alcohol samples collected was illicit brews col-
lected while 11 were licit. Four out of the eleven licit
brews had ethanol levels that did not complied with
the set government standards. Conclusion: Illicit
brews with high ethanol content are available in the
Kenyan market, while some of the manufacturers of
the licit brew do not comply with government set
content recommendations.
Citation
Open Journal of Psychiatry, 2012, 2, 301-304Publisher
Department of Psychiatry, University of Nairobi, Nairobi
Description
Alcohol dependence: Does the composition of the available
beverages promote it?
Collections
- Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) [10377]