Fatores associados e tendências de uso e abuso de álcool entre mulheres em Belo Horizonte

Abstract

Women that are traditionally considered light consumers of alcohol are, in recent years, achieving equivalent patterns of consumption than men. Due to the high social cost of alcohol use, the growing phenomenon among women deserves greater attention. The main objective of this study was to analyze the associated factors with current alcohol use and binge drinking among adult women living in Belo Horizonte, as well as temporal trends of both behaviors in the population between the years 2006 and 2011. This is a study based on data from the VIGITEL - Belo Horizonte (Telephone-based Surveillance of Risk and Protective Factors for Chronic Diseases). Alcohol use was considered when women self-reported at least one dose intake in the last 30 days and alcohol abuse was considered when four or more drinks were taken on at least one occasion at the same period. The independent variables were: sociodemographic characteristics, including age, race, education, marital status, and participation in the labor market, health status, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, recommended fruit and vegetables intake and overweight. Poisson regression was used to evaluate the possible factors associated with alcohol use and abuse. The time series were analysed using the linear regression. Alcohol use was more prevalent among younger and single women, with higher educational level and smoking habit. Alcohol abuse was associated to age, schooling, health status and smoking habit. Between 2006 and 2011, there was a decrease in the prevalence of usual and abusive alcohol consumption, and the rat of women who reported regular alcohol use, suffered a decrease of 19.9%, and, with respect to abuse, there was a decrease of 12.1%. However, the decrease trends of alcohol use (p=0.388) and abuse (p=0.908) arent statistically significant. Although the general trends have presented these results, were observed differences between groups. With respect to alcohol use, was observed decrease in prevalence in the range of schooling from 9 to 11 years (p=0.048) and those who had more healthy diet (p=0.014). Despite alcohol abuse, an increase in prevalence in women with education upper 12 years (p=0.019). The proportion of women who reported driving after an episode of alcohol abuse ranged between 0.0% and 0.5% during the six years studied, and in 2011, was observed the lower prevalence Thus, its necessary prevention policies of alcohol abuse among women, especially between younger, those with high education, those who do not live in a stable union, those who rated their health as better and smokers, the identified groups most likely to exhibit this behavior.