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Augustine AK, Maganga L, Francis JM. Epidemiology of alcohol use and alcohol use disorder among female sex workers in Mbeya City, Tanzania. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2024; 4:e0002794. [PMID: 38662685 PMCID: PMC11045110 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0002794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Alcohol misuse is a global concern, contributing to 5.3% of total deaths and 132.6 million disability-adjusted life years worldwide. In Sub-Saharan African countries, the prevalence of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) has risen, especially among female sex workers, due to increased availability and advertising. However, there are limited studies on alcohol use and AUD among female sex workers in Tanzania. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, patterns, and factors associated with alcohol use and AUD among sex workers in Mbeya city, Tanzania. In this cross-sectional study, 212 female sex workers in Mbeya city, Tanzania, seeking enrolment in the National Institute for Medical Research Mbeya Medical Research Centre's registration cohort from July to November 2022. Structured interviews covered socio-demographics, alcohol screening (AUDIT-C and Timeline Follow Back Calendar), and sexual behaviours data. Data were analysed using Stata version 17. Descriptive analysis assessed alcohol consumption and AUD prevalence. Factors associated with alcohol use and AUD at bivariate analysis were identified using Chi-square/Fisher's exact tests. All variables with p-value ≤ 0.20 were entered into a multivariable logistic regression model to identify factors associated with alcohol use and AUD. Among 212 participants, 86.6% reported alcohol use in the past 12 months, 85% in the past 30 days, and 98.5% met AUD criteria. Factors linked to recent alcohol consumption included primary education or higher, income above the median, and more than 10 sexual partners. Education level, marital status, income, and having dependents were significantly associated with heavy drinking episodes. The prevalence of AUD, alcohol use, and heavy episodic drinking were high among female sex workers in Mbeya city. Socio-demographic factors and risky sexual behaviours were associated with alcohol use and heavy episodic drinking highlighting the need for targeted interventions to combat alcohol abuse among female sex workers within the HIV program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Kapaya Augustine
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Social Sciences, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Lucas Maganga
- Mbeya Medical Research Centre, National Institute for Medical Research, Mbeya, Tanzania
| | - Joel Msafiri Francis
- Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Mushi D, Moshiro C, Hanlon C, Francis JM, Teferra S. Missed opportunity for alcohol use disorder screening and management in primary health care facilities in northern rural Tanzania: a cross-sectional survey. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy 2022; 17:50. [PMID: 35794580 PMCID: PMC9258127 DOI: 10.1186/s13011-022-00479-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective The study aimed to identify the missed opportunity for detection and management of alcohol use disorder by primary health care workers. Design A cross-sectional survey Setting Outpatient services in the six governmental primary health care facilities in Moshi district council in Tanzania. Participants A total of 1604 adults were screened for alcohol use disorder (AUD) using the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). Participants scoring 8 or above then provided details about their help-seeking behavior and barriers to seeking care. Participants’ records were reviewed to assess the screening and management of AUD. Results In the last 12 months, 60.7% reported alcohol use, and heavy episodic drinking (HED) was reported by 37.3%. AUD (AUDIT ≥ 8) was present in 23.9%. Males were more likely to have HED (aPR = 1.43;95% CI:1.3 to 1.4) or AUD (aPR = 2.9; 95% CI 1.9 to 4.2). Both HED and AUD increased with age. Only one participant (0.3%) had documented AUD screening and management. Only 5% of participants screening positive for AUD had sought help. Reasons for not seeking care were thinking that the problem would get better by itself (55.0%), wanting to handle the problem alone (42.0%), or not being bothered by the problem (40.0%). Conclusion While reported alcohol use, HED, and AUD are common among patients presenting to primary healthcare facilities in northern Tanzania, help-seeking behavior and detection are very low. Not screening for AUD in primary health care is a missed opportunity for early detection and management. There is an urgent need to develop interventions to increase the detection of AUD by health care providers, while also addressing help-seeking behavior and barriers to seeking care.
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Tarimo CB, Kaale LD. Use of Yeasts in Traditional Alcoholic Beverages in Tanzania and Potential Opportunities. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF BREWING CHEMISTS 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/03610470.2021.2013677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christian Brayson Tarimo
- Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
- Quality Management Department, Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Lilian Daniel Kaale
- Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
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Middleton DRS, Mmbaga BT, Menya D, Dzamalala C, Nyakunga-Maro G, Finch P, Mlombe Y, Schüz J, McCormack V. Alcohol consumption and oesophageal squamous cell cancer risk in east Africa: findings from the large multicentre ESCCAPE case-control study in Kenya, Tanzania, and Malawi. Lancet Glob Health 2022; 10:e236-e245. [PMID: 34921758 PMCID: PMC8766315 DOI: 10.1016/s2214-109x(21)00506-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 10/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The contribution of alcohol to the large burden of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in east Africa remains uncertain and difficult to assess owing to complex consumption patterns of traditional and commercial drinks. We aimed to assess whether alcohol drinking, overall and at specific intake levels, contributes to ESCC risk in east Africa. METHODS We did a hospital-based case-control study in Kenya, Tanzania, and Malawi, which included comprehensive assessment of a variety of locally consumed alcohol that we used to classify drinkers as exclusively low alcohol-by-volume (ABV; <30% ABV) drinkers or drinkers of some high-ABV drinks, as well as the number of drinks consumed, average weekly ethanol intake, and the contribution of each drink type to overall ethanol consumption. Cases were patients aged 18 years and older with incident primary ESCC, confirmed histologically for the majority of cases, and a clinical diagnosis for the remainder. Controls were frequency-matched on age and sex in a 1:1 ratio with cases. The controls were recruited from the same hospitals as cases and included outpatients, inpatients, and hospital visitors who did not have cancer or any other digestive disease. Consenting participants took part in face-to-face interviews in which they were asked whether they had ever consumed alcohol (the primary exposure variable); those who had were asked follow-up questions about their consumption habits for different alcoholic drinks. FINDINGS 1279 cases and 1346 controls were recruited between Aug 5, 2013, and May 24, 2020, including 430 cases and 440 controls from Kenya, 310 cases and 313 controls from Tanzania, and 539 cases and 593 controls from Malawi. 65 (4·8%) of 1344 cases were excluded. Consistent positive associations with ESCC risk were found for ever having consumed alcohol in Kenyan men and Tanzanian men, and for daily number of drinks and estimated ethanol intake in Kenya, Tanzania (both sexes) and Malawian women. Corresponding population-attributable fractions of ESCC for those reporting ever drinking alcohol (vs never drinking) were 65% (95% CI 52-78) in Kenyan men and 23% (<1-45) in Kenyan women, and 56% (95% CI 36-76) in Tanzanian men and 5% (0-42) in Tanzanian women. Increased risk and population-attributable fractions were almost entirely due to risks in high-ABV drinkers. INTERPRETATION Alcohol appears to be a substantial contributor to ESCC risk in east Africa, particularly among men, and a large fraction of ESCC could be prevented by cessation or reduction of alcohol consumption. Future studies should consider independent ascertainment of alcohol intake to assess the potential of under-reporting in Malawi. FUNDING US National Cancer Institute, Wereld Kanker Onderzoek Fonds, and the IARC Environment and Lifestyle Epidemiology Branch. TRANSLATIONS For the Swahili and Chichewa translations of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R S Middleton
- Environment and Lifestyle Epidemiology Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France
| | - Blandina T Mmbaga
- Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute, Moshi, Tanzania; Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, Moshi, Tanzania; Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Moshi, Tanzania
| | - Diana Menya
- School of Public Heath, Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya
| | | | - Gissela Nyakunga-Maro
- Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute, Moshi, Tanzania; Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, Moshi, Tanzania; Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Moshi, Tanzania
| | - Peter Finch
- Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Blantyre, Malawi
| | | | - Joachim Schüz
- Environment and Lifestyle Epidemiology Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France
| | - Valerie McCormack
- Environment and Lifestyle Epidemiology Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France.
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Raggio GA, Psaros C, Fatch R, Goodman G, Matthews LT, Magidson JF, Amanyire G, Cross A, Asiimwe S, Hahn JA, Haberer JE. High Rates of Biomarker-Confirmed Alcohol Use Among Pregnant Women Living With HIV in South Africa and Uganda. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2019; 82:443-451. [PMID: 31567551 PMCID: PMC6857734 DOI: 10.1097/qai.0000000000002156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol use is common among people living with HIV and particularly harmful during pregnancy. However, objective data on alcohol use in pregnant women living with HIV (WLWH) are lacking. In areas with high levels of alcohol use generally, such as South Africa and Uganda, these data are needed to inform interventions. METHODS Pregnant and nonpregnant, antiretroviral therapy-naive WLWH were recruited from outpatient clinics in South Africa and Uganda. Women provided self-report data on previous three-month alcohol use and potential mental health correlates of alcohol use (depression and stigma). Blood samples were used to measure phosphatidylethanol (PEth), an objective biomarker of recent alcohol intake. We analyzed any alcohol use (ie, any self-reported use or PEth-positive [≥8 ng/mL]) and under-reporting of alcohol use (ie, no self-reported use with concurrent PEth-positive). RESULTS Among pregnant WLWH (n = 163, median age was 26 [interquartile range: 23-29], median gestational age was 20 weeks [interquartile range: 16-26]), 40% were using alcohol and 16% under-reported alcohol use. Neither any alcohol use nor under-reporting of alcohol use differed significantly between pregnant and nonpregnant women or by country (P > 0.05). Greater depression (but not greater stigma) was significantly associated with any alcohol use (adjusted odds ratio = 1.41, 95% confidence interval: [1.01 to 1.99]; P = 0.045). CONCLUSIONS Alcohol use was prevalent and under-reported among pregnant WLWH in South Africa and Uganda, similar to nonpregnant participants, and associated with depression. General health care and antenatal clinic settings present opportunities to provide integrated alcohol-based counseling and depression treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greer A. Raggio
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- National Center for Weight and Wellness, Washington, DC
| | - Christina Psaros
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Robin Fatch
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Georgia Goodman
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Lynn T. Matthews
- Center for Global Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Department of Infectious Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | | | | | - Anna Cross
- Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa;
| | - Stephen Asiimwe
- Center for Global Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
- Department of Community Health, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda; and
- Kabwohe Clinical Research Center, Kabwohe, Uganda.
| | - Judith A. Hahn
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Jessica E. Haberer
- Center for Global Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
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Otim O, Juma T, Otunnu O. Assessing the health risks of consuming 'sachet' alcohol in Acoli, Uganda. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0212938. [PMID: 30811520 PMCID: PMC6392317 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The increased mortality rate among the Acoli people of northern Uganda is anecdotally blamed on excessive consumption of cheap and widely available sachet-packaged alcohol in the region. In this paper, we quantify this perceived association by determining statistically the health risks associated with ingesting 20 heavy metals in 17 popular spirits products consumed in Acoli. Thirteen of these products were industrially packaged in sachets (locally known as 'sachet,' waragi, arege or moo lyec) and four were locally produced Lira-Lira spirits from Bolo, Awere and Teso Bar in the region and Nsambya in southern Uganda. A Scottish whisky purchased in San Diego (USA) was our reference. Risk assessment was performed according to standardized protocols developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). Our results show that a strong correlation indeed exists between health risks and ingestion of spirits in Acoli. At >2.5 sachets/day for 240 day/year over a lifetime for example, the risk of developing cancer due to exposure to As, Pb and Cr alone is 1 in 102,041. This estimate excludes ethanol, a known carcinogen, and 17 heavy metals also studied due to lack of their cancer slope factors. The primary non-cancer related health risk factor in all samples tested is ethanol with unacceptably high health index of four. The Lira-Lira spirits, with 100-6000% copper above the US EPA limit for intake by oral ingestion in water, would be the 'cleanest' without copper and at par with the Scottish whisky. Collectively, we find that no amount of alcohol consumed in Acoli is safe. Preventive measures are therefore recommended to reduce mortality in Acoli in particular, and in Uganda in general. These measures should include public education, better public policies, creating productive economic activities other than brewing alcohol, and social activities that engage people away from drinking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ochan Otim
- Department of Humanities and Sciences, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America.,Environmental Monitoring Division, City of Los Angeles, Playa Del Rey, California, United States of America
| | - Tom Juma
- Environmental Monitoring Division, City of Los Angeles, Playa Del Rey, California, United States of America
| | - Olara Otunnu
- Former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, New York, New York, United States of America
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