J Korean Med Sci.  2008 Feb;23(1):1-9. 10.3346/jkms.2008.23.1.1.

Alcohol Dependence, Mortality, and Chronic Health Conditions in a Rural Population in Korea

• Min S
• Noh S
• Shin J
• Ahn JS
• Kim TH

• KMID: 1786837
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2008.23.1.1

Abstract

To determine the effects of excessive drinking and alcohol dependency on mortality and chronic health problems in a rural community in South Korea, this study represents a nested case-control study. In 1998, we conducted the Alcohol Dependence Survey (ADS), a population survey of a village in Korea. To measure the effects of alcohol on chronic health conditions and mortality over time, in 2004, we identified 290 adults from the ADS sample (N=1,058) for follow-up. Of those selected, 145 were adults who had alcohol problems, either alcohol dependence as assessed in the ADS by the Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire (N=59), or excessive drinking without dependency (N=86). Further 145 nondrinkers were identified, matching those with alcohol problems in age and sex. We revisited the village in 2004 and completed personal interviews with them. In multivariate logistic regressions, the rates of mortality and morbidity of chronic health conditions were three times greater for alcohol dependents compared with the rate for nondrinkers. Importantly, however, excessive drinking without dependency was not associated with the rates of either mortality or morbidity. Future investigations would benefit by attending more specifically to measures for alcohol dependence as well as measures for alcohol consumption.

Keyword

Alcoholism; Alcohol Drinking; Mortality; Morbidity; Korea

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Alcohol-Related Disorders/epidemiology
Alcoholism/complications/*mortality
Chronic Disease
Female
Humans
Korea/epidemiology
Logistic Models
Male
Middle Aged
Rural Population
Sex Factors
Smoking/epidemiology

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