title: Alcohol drinking patterns and prevalence of alcohol-abuse and dependence in the Israel National Health Survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Coexistence of disparate religious/cultural mores with regard to alcohol drinking within the changing social milieu of Israel provides an informative environment for investigation of alcohol consumption patterns and alcohol-related mental disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  A national population-based survey of Israeli adults was conducted as part of the WHO/World Mental Health Survey initiative. Logistic regression models accommodated the complex sampling design and accounted for potential confounders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Half of the 4,859 respondents reported any alcohol consumption in the year prior to interview; 5% drink 3 or more times weekly. DSM-IV criteria for alcohol-abuse or dependence (lifetime) were met by 4.3% of respondents. Significantly higher rates were found among males (AOR, adjusted odds ratio=7.3), younger adults (AOR=5.0), immigrants from the former Soviet Union (AOR=2.0), and those who were never married (AOR=1.6).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Under-reporting remains a potential concern in health behavior surveys, particularly in the face of opposing religious norms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The lifetime prevalence of alcohol abuse in Israel is identical to other European countries while drinking levels are considerably lower, suggesting a biological sensitivity alongside socio-cultural factors.
authors: Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Hebrew University-Hadassah, Jerusalem, Israel. yehudan@ekmd.huji.ac.il
authors: Yehuda D
authors: YD
authors: Neumark
authors: Catalina
authors: C
authors: Lopez-Quintero
authors: Alexander
authors: A
authors: Grinshpoon
authors: Daphna
authors: D
authors: Levinson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence