The Relationship between a Spouse's Alcohol Use Disorder and Family Communication.
10.4082/kjfm.2015.36.2.92
- Author:
Hyuk Ju KWON
1
;
Tae Kwan AHN
;
Jung Ah LEE
;
Sung SUNWOO
;
Young Sik KIM
;
Byung Soo KIM
;
Tae Hee JEON
;
Byung Yeon YU
;
Byung Wook YOO
;
Kyung Chae PARK
;
Sun Wha OK
Author Information
1. Department of Family Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. youngkim@amc.seoul.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Alcohol Use Disorder;
Family Functioning;
Family Communication
- MeSH:
Alcohol Drinking;
Cohort Studies;
Cross-Sectional Studies;
Female;
Humans;
Korea;
Logistic Models;
Male;
Primary Health Care;
Surveys and Questionnaires;
Spouses
- From:Korean Journal of Family Medicine
2015;36(2):92-102
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) affects not only an individual's health but also their family. This study was conducted to examine effects of a spouse's AUD on family functioning and family communication. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from 890 participants (445 couples) in a Korean family cohort in primary care. Participants with Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test in Korea scores of 8 or greater were classified into an AUD group. Family functioning was classified into three groups (balanced, midrange, and extreme) using the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale (FACES)-III questionnaire, and then reclassified into two groups (appropriate and extreme groups) for binominal analyses. Family communication was classified into three groups (high, moderate, and low) using the Family Communication Scale, FACES-IV, and also reclassified into two groups (good and poor). RESULTS: There was no significant difference in adaptability and cohesion between both male and female participants with a spouse with AUD and participants with a spouse without AUD. Using multivariate logistic regression to adjust for potential confounders, there was no significant difference in family type and communication between the two groups in males. However, there was a significant decrease in family communication (odds ratio, 2.14; 95% confidence interval, 1.29 to 3.58) in females with a spouse with AUD compared to females with a spouse without AUD, even after adjusting for the participant's own AUD. CONCLUSION: In females, family communication is significantly worse when spouses have AUD. This suggests that a husband's alcohol consumption has negative effects on his wife's family communication.
