SEARCHCOHORTpublic health, epidemiology

cohort·public health, epidemiology, emergency medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, family medicine·PMC10597514

A mixed-methods comparison of gender differences in alcohol consumption and drinking characteristics among patients in Moshi, Tanzania

PLOS Global Public Health · 14 authors, 7 centres

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TL;DR

This mixed-methods study found significant gender differences in alcohol use behaviors among 676 adult patients in Moshi, Tanzania, with women reporting lower consumption, greater social restrictions, and secretive drinking, while men's drinking was normalized and tied to social interactions.

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A mixed-methods study used systematic random sampling to enroll 676 adult patients from the Emergency Department (ED) and Reproductive Health Center (RHC) at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center in Moshi, Tanzania. Quantitative analysis of surveys, including the AUDIT, revealed lower average AUDIT scores among women than men. Qualitative analysis of 19 in-depth interviews indicated that for men, alcohol use facilitated social interaction and was normalized, while women faced greater social restrictions leading to secretive drinking behaviors. The study found higher rates of harmful drinking among ED patients, especially women (17% ED vs. 7.4% RHC), compared to other local studies. The findings suggest that future alcohol interventions must incorporate gender-specific designs, given the distinct sociocultural drivers of use for men and women.

STUDY TYPE

cohort

SPECIALTY

public health

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AI pipeline

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100% · A

ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10597514

A mixed-methods comparison of gender differences in alcohol consumption and drinking characteristics among patients in Moshi, Tanzania

PLOS Global Public Health

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ABSTRACT

Excessive alcohol use stands as a serious threat to individual and community well-being, having been linked to a wide array of physical, social, mental, and economic harms. Alcohol consumption differs by gender, a trend seen both globally and in Moshi, Tanzania, a region with especially high rates of intake and few resources for alcohol-related care. To develop effective gender-appropriate treatment interventions, differences in drinking behaviors between men and women must be better understood. Our study aims to identify and explore gender-based discrepancies in alcohol consumption among Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center (KCMC) patients. A systematic random sampling of adult patients presenting to KCMC’s Emergency Department (ED) or Reproductive Health Center (RHC) was conducted from October 2021 until May 2022. Patients answered demographic and alcohol use-related questions and completed brief surveys, including the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). Through purposeful sampling, 19 individuals also participated in in-depth interviews (IDIs) that focused on identifying gender differences in alcohol use. Quantitative data was analyzed in RStudio through descriptive frequencies, proportions, ANOVA, and Chi-squared tests, while IDIs were analyzed in Nvivo following a grounded theory approach. During the 8-month data collection timeline, 676 patients were enrolled. Men and women patients at KCMC’s ED and RHC were found to have significant differences in their alcohol use behaviors. For our quantitative data, this included lower average AUDIT scores among women (average [SD] AUDIT scores were 6.76 [8.16] among ED men, 3.07 [4.76] among ED women, and 1.86 [3.46] among RHC women). A subsequent IDI analysis revealed greater social restrictions around women’s drinking and more secretive alcohol use behaviors for where and when women would drink. For men, excess drinking was normalized within Moshi, tied to men’s social interactions with other men, and generally motivated by stress, social pressure, and despair over lack of opportunity. Significant gender differences in drinking behaviors were found, primarily influenced by sociocultural norms. These dissimilarities in alcohol use suggest that future alcohol-related programs should incorporate gender in their conceptualization and implementation.

CITATION EXPORT

Alena Pauley, Mia Buono, Kirstin West et al.. A mixed-methods comparison of gender differences in alcohol consumption and drinking characteristics among patients in Moshi, Tanzania. PLOS Global Public Health. (2023). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0002009

AUTHORS

14 · 7 CENTRES

Alena Pauley, Mia Buono, Kirstin West, Madeline Metcalf, Sharla Rent, Joseph Kilasara, Yvonne Sawe, Mariana Mikindo, Blandina T. Mmbaga, Judith Boshe, João Ricardo Nickenig Vissoci, Catherine A. Staton, Priya Ranganathan, Priya Ranganathan

1 Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
2 Duke Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
3 Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center, Moshi, Tanzania
4 Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Moshi, Tanzania
5 Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute, Moshi, Tanzania
6 Duke Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
Tata Memorial Centre, INDIA

EDITOR / REVIEWER

Priya Ranganathan