title: Estimating alcohol content of traditional brew in Western Kenya using culturally relevant methods: the case for cost over volume.
abstract: Traditional homemade brew is believed to represent the highest proportion of alcohol use in sub-Saharan Africa. In Eldoret, Kenya, two types of brew are common: chang'aa, spirits, and busaa, maize beer. Local residents refer to the amount of brew consumed by the amount of money spent, suggesting a culturally relevant estimation method. The purposes of this study were to analyze ethanol content of chang'aa and busaa; and to compare two methods of alcohol estimation: use by cost, and use by volume, the latter the current international standard. Laboratory results showed mean ethanol content was 34% (SD = 14%) for chang'aa and 4% (SD = 1%) for busaa. Standard drink unit equivalents for chang'aa and busaa, respectively, were 2 and 1.3 (US) and 3.5 and 2.3 (Great Britain). Using a computational approach, both methods demonstrated comparable results. We conclude that cost estimation of alcohol content is more culturally relevant and does not differ in accuracy from the international standard.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA. Rebecca.papas@yale.edu
authors.forename: Rebecca K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Papas
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Sidle
authors.forename: Emmanuel S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Wamalwa
authors.forename: Thomas O
authors.initials: TO
authors.lastname: Okumu
authors.forename: Kendall L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.forename: Joseph L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Goulet
authors.forename: Stephen A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Maisto
authors.forename: R Scott
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Braithwaite
authors.forename: Amy C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Justice
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages / Q000032:analysis* / Q000191:economics* / Q000592:standards; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis / Q000191:economics; D003469:Culture; D000431:Ethanol / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D007394:International System of Units / Q000592:standards*; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol