Alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems: Chinese experience from six area samples, 1994.
OBJECTIVE
To understand the drinking frequency, mean yearly volume of consumption and drinking-related problems in individuals living in six areas in China.


METHODS
By two-stage sampling, 23,513 community household residents (15-65 years old) were assessed with data collected by trained psychiatrists using structured questionnaires and DSM-III-R criteria.


RESULTS
The male, female and total drinking rates were 84.1%, 29.3% and 59.5%, respectively. More than half of male drinkers and 90.0% of female drinkers used alcohol once a week or less. More than 16.1% of male drinkers and 2.5% of female drinkers drank once a day or more. The males reported a greater amount of alcohol consumed per session. The mean yearly volume of consumption of pure alcohol per year for all sample was 3.60 l; males consumed 18.6 times more alcohol than females. The rate of alcohol-related problems was higher in males than females. The male, female and total alcohol dependence point prevalence rates were 6.632%, 0.104% and 3.428%, respectively. Six-month incidence rates of acute intoxication were 5.162% 0.017% and 2.637%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Drinking problems in China will continue to be a public health problem in the next century.
Wei
H
H
Mental Health Institute, Hunan Medical University, Changsha, China. haowei@bigfoot.com
Derson
Y
Y
Xiao
S
S
Li
L
L
Zhang
Y
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires