Lina Ignatavičiūtė, Antanas Goštautas, Nijolė Goštautaitė-Midttun
Abstract
The article analyses correlation of alcohol use and attitudes towards alcohol by sex, age and education level in Lithuanian population. Combined data from surveys “Kaunas region community service and quality of life project” and “Health knowledge, behavior and habits of Lithuanian inhabitants” were used for determining prevalence among adults, and prevalence among school children – by surveys run in Vytautas Magnus University Health Psychology Master Program (N 12142). Attitudes towards alcohol consumption were assessed in interviews by means of Questionnaire of the Attitudes Towards Alcohol Consumption. Statistical analysis was performed by averages and frequencies, Stjudent, Chi square tests and correlation analysis (p<0,05). Prevalence of alcohol consumption was found to be more related to sex and age of respondents than to their educational level. Consumption of alcohol by schoolchildren increases until the age of 18, reaching the level of consumption by young adults. Consumption prevalence among male (87,23%) especially with lower than secondary education, was higher than among female (66,31%) in all age groups (p <0,05). On the average females (86,7%) use alcohol mostly at the age of 31-35 and male (93,2%) – at the age of 36-40. Age of the first drink is getting lower in all education groups, but females (at 17,68) start using alcohol later (p< 0,05) than males (at 16,04). The later they start using alcohol, irrespective of sex, age and educational level, the later they would also allow their children to taste and use it (p <0,05). Higher education does not provide higher pro-health attitudes among females as compared to males. However among male, with lower than secondary education pro-health attitudes were significantly more prevalent among later beginners than among other educational level groups (p<0,05). Most of the Lithuanian population have pro-health attitudes towards alcohol consumption, though this does not reduce prevalence of alcohol consumption but might improve acceptance of effective alcohol control interventions, such as prohibition of advertising, reducing access, price increases among population.
Article in Lithuanian
doi:10.5200/sm-hs.2012.003
Keyword(s): alcohol use prevalence; attitudes; sex; age; education
DOI: 10.5200/244
Full Text: PDF