title: Alcohol use, drunkenness and tobacco smoking in rural western Kenya.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the prevalence of smoking and alcohol use and abuse in an impoverished rural region of western Kenya.
  
  
  METHODS
  Picked from a population-based longitudinal database of demographic and health census data, 72 292 adults (≥18 years) were asked to self-report their recent (within the past 30 days) and lifetime use of tobacco and alcohol and frequency of recent 'drunkenness'.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall prevalence of ever smoking was 11.2% (11.0-11.5) and of ever drinking, 20.7% (20.4-21.0). The prevalence of current smoking was 6.3% (6.1-6.5); 5.7% (5.5-5.9) smoked daily. 7.3% (7.1-7.5) reported drinking alcohol within the past 30 days. Of these, 60.3% (58.9-61.6) reported being drunk on half or more of all drinking occasions. The percentage of current smokers rose with the number of drinking days in a month (P < 0.0001). Tobacco and alcohol use increased with decreasing socio-economic status and amongst women in the oldest age group (P < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tobacco and alcohol use are prevalent in this rural region of Kenya. Abuse of alcohol is common and likely influenced by the availability of cheap, home-manufactured alcohol. Appropriate evidence-based policies to reduce alcohol and tobacco use should be widely implemented and complemented by public health efforts to increase awareness of their harmful effects.
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Tuberculosis Elimination, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. terrencelo@cdc.gov
authors.forename: T Q
authors.initials: TQ
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Oeltmann
authors.forename: F O
authors.initials: FO
authors.lastname: Odhiambo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Beynon
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pevzner
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Cain
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Laserson
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Phillips-Howard
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012923:Social Class; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult