OBJECTIVE: Alcohol consumption of university students in Metro Manila was determined and compared to other countries in the region and in the West.
METHODS: A survey of students from ten randomly selected public and private universities in Metro Manila was done.
RESULTS: A total of 2,930 students participated, 46.1% from public schools and 58.9% were female. Of the total students, 81.6% had drank an alcoholic drink in their lifetime; and 15.6% drank beer, 22.5% drank wine and 11.4% drank distilled spirits before they were 13 years old. For the past 30 days, 30.2% drank beer, 30.8% distilled spirit and 18.7% wine; 16.9%, 7.4% and 19.7% binged on beer, wine and distilled spirits, respectively; and 29.1% got drunk. Five percent of the students had drank inside their school. Of those who drove any motorized vehicle, 28.9% drove when they had drank and of those who use prohibited drugs, 66.7% mixed the two. Thirty one percent said they tried to quit drinking in the past 12 months and 7.5% admitted they have a drinking problem.
CONCLUSION: Alcohol consumption of Metro Manila students approximates those of other countries. For policy and monitoring purposes, it is recommended that this survey be done regularly with a nationwide scope and compare this with other countries for best practices.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to identify the influence of chronotype and self-efficacy on drinking problem in undergraduate students. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey design was adopted for the 177 undergraduate students in D, G, and K city in 2017. The data was analyzed for descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients and multiple regression analysis using the SPSS 18.0 program. RESULTS: Chronotype (β=−.31, p<.001), self-efficacy (β=27, p<.001) and religion (β=−.19, p=.005) were identified as the factors influencing drinking problem in the subjects. The model explained 19% of variance in drinking problem (F=11.36, p<.001). CONCLUSION: It is necessary to develop and apply a program that would consider chronotype and self-efficacy factors to reduce the drinking problem in undergraduate students.
Alcohol Drinking in College ; Circadian Rhythm ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Drinking ; Humans

OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to identify alcohol-related advertisements and access to alcohol outside selected Metro Manila schools as well as to identify alcohol-related ordinances and determine their enforcement.

METHODS: An area within 100 meters of ten randomly selected colleges in Metro Manila were included in the study using the Global Positioning System (GPS). These areas were grid-searched for alcohol related advertisements and alcohol outlets. Ordinances related to alcohol were also identified.

RESULTS: An average of six advertisements and 12 establishments which sell alcoholic drinks were seen near the selected colleges in Metro Manila. Three of the five cities where the ten colleges were situated had ordinances which prohibit selling to minors while two cities prohibit issuing of liquor licenses to establishments within 200 meters from a school.

CONCLUSION: Alcohol-related advertisements and alcohol outlets were plentiful near Metro Manila colleges even when there were ordinances which prohibit giving licenses to establishments to sell alcoholic beverages.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated error-monitoring deficits in female college students with binge drinking (BD) using event-related potentials (ERPs) and the modified Flanker task. METHODS: Participants were categorized into BD (n=25) and non-BD (n=25) groups based on the scores of the Korean-version of the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT-K) and the Alcohol Use Questionnaire (AUQ). The modified Flanker task, consisting of congruent (target and flanker stimuli are the same) and incongruent (target and flanker stimuli are different) conditions, was used to evaluate error-monitoring abilities. RESULTS: The BD group exhibited significantly shorter response times and more error rates on the Flanker task, as well as reduced error-related negativity (ERN) amplitudes compared with the non-BD group. Additionally, ERN amplitudes measured at FCz and Cz were significantly correlated with scores on the AUDIT-K and AUQ in the whole participants. The BD and non-BD groups did not show any significant differences in error positivity amplitudes. CONCLUSION: The present results indicate that college students with BD have deficits in error-monitoring, and that reduced ERN amplitudes may serve as a biological marker or risk factor of alcohol use disorder.
Alcohol Drinking ; Binge Drinking ; Biomarkers ; Evoked Potentials ; Female ; Humans ; Reaction Time ; Risk Factors ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) is a useful biomarker to identify excessive alcohol consumption; however, few studies have validated the %CDT cut-off value in elderly men. This study estimated the optimal %CDT cut-off value that could identify excessive alcohol consumption in men aged ≥65 years. METHODS: This retrospective study included 120 men who visited the department of family medicine at Chungnam National University Hospital for health check-up between January 2010 and August 2013. At-risk drinking included heavy- and binge drinking. Heavy drinking was defined as more than seven standard drinks/wk, and binge drinking was defined as more than three standard drinks/d. The cut-off %CDT values for at-risk drinking were determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS: Based on the ROC curves, the optimal %CDT cut-off values in ≥65-year-old men were 1.95% for at-risk drinking, 1.81% for heavy drinking, and 2.07% for binge drinking. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were 58.7%, 83.6%, 69.2%, and 76.2% for at-risk drinking, respectively. The AUROC were >0.7 for all three evaluated cut-offs. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the %CDT cut-off value for at-risk drinking in elderly Korean men (≥65 years) should be readjusted to a lower value of 1.95%.
Aged* ; Alcohol Drinking ; Binge Drinking ; Biomarkers ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Drinking* ; Humans ; Male ; Mass Screening* ; Retrospective Studies ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Transferrin*

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to investigate the combined effects of abdominal obesity and alcohol drinking on the risk of hypertension in Korean adults (aged ≥30 yrs). METHODS: Data of 13,885 subjects from the sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analyzed. The multiple logistic regression tests were used for the analysis, including potential covariates of the model. RESULTS: Frequency of drinking, typical drinking quantity, and frequency of binge drinking had a positive relation to hypertension. The odds ratio of hypertension for risk drinkers with abdominal obesity was 4.81 compared to non-risk drinkers with normal waist circumstance, whereas the odds ratios of hypertension for risk drinkers with normal waist circumstance and non-risk drinkers with abdominal obesity were 1.58 and 2.37 respectively. CONCLUSION: Both abdominal obesity and alcohol drinking patterns were strong risk factors of hypertension in the Korean adults. Risk drinkers with abdominal obesity showed a marked high risk in hypertension compared to those with a single condition alone.
Adult ; Alcohol Drinking ; Binge Drinking ; Drinking ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Nutrition Surveys ; Obesity ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Odds Ratio ; Risk Factors

We investigated the gender-specific association between average volume of alcohol consumption, binge drinking, and periodontitis using representative nationwide data. In total, we included 3,549 men and 4,810 women, aged 19 years and older, who participated in the sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey performed in 2013~2014. According to the average volume of alcohol consumption, study participants were grouped as follows: mild drinkers (0.1~2.0 drinks/day in men and 0.1~1.0 drink/day in women), moderate drinkers (2.1~4.0 drinks/day in men and 1.1~2.0 drinks/day in women), and heavy drinkers (>4.0 drinks/day in men and >2.0 drinks/day in women). Additionally, binge drinking was categorized as never (no binge drinking), rarely (<1 time/month), occasionally (1 time/month), frequently (1 time/week), and always (almost every day/week). Periodontitis was defined as a community periodontal index equal to code 3 or greater. In men, after controlling for covariates, the association between average volume of alcohol consumption and periodontitis showed a J-shaped curve; the risk of periodontitis was significantly higher in moderate drinkers (odds ratio [OR], 1.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01~1.56) and heavy drinkers (OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.04~1.87) than in mild drinkers. In contrast, no significant association between average volume of alcohol consumption and periodontitis was observed in women. In a fully adjusted analysis, which used ‘never binge drinking’ as a reference, a significant dose-response relationship between binge drinking and periodontitis was observed only in men: rarely (OR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.16~2.34), occasionally (OR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.05~2.16), frequently (OR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.07~2.33), and always (OR, 2.56; 95% CI, 1.56~4.22) (p for trend=0.005). In conclusion, unhealthy drinking patterns such as moderate or heavy alcohol consumption and binge drinking were significantly associated with periodontitis in men but not in women.
Adult* ; Alcohol Drinking* ; Binge Drinking* ; Drinking ; Female ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Korea* ; Male ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Periodontal Index ; Periodontitis*

OBJECTIVE: The number of Korean women of childbearing age who drink alcohol and binge drink has increased remarkably in recent years. In the present study, we examined self-reported rates of alcohol use before and during pregnancy and identified maternal characteristics associated with drinking in pregnancy. METHODS: One thousand pregnant Korean women who visited the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN) completed a self-administered questionnaire that sought information on their demographic characteristics and incorporated features of the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT)-C to investigate their use of alcohol, including binge drinking, during three time periods ("in the year before this pregnancy," "during this pregnancy," and "in the previous 30 days"). RESULTS: Of these participants, 16.4% reported using alcohol during their pregnancy, 12.2% had used alcohol in the previous 30 days, and 1.7% reported binge drinking during their pregnancy. In the year before pregnancy, 77.1% had used alcohol, and 22.3% had binge drunk. The group using any amount of any alcohol during pregnancy showed a lower educational level, a lower rate of planned pregnancy, a lower level of knowledge relating to the risks of drinking alcohol during pregnancy, and a higher frequency of alcohol drinking in the year before pregnancy when compared with the abstinent group. Low educational level and unplanned pregnancy were revealed to be significant risk factors for alcohol consumption in pregnant women. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to examine any alcohol and binge alcohol drinking during pregnancy in Korea. Clinical attention and monitoring system on alcohol use during pregnancy are necessary in Korea.
Alcohol Drinking ; Binge Drinking ; Drinking ; Family Planning Services ; Female ; Fetal Alcohol Syndrome ; Gynecology ; Humans ; Korea ; Obstetrics ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy, Unplanned ; Pregnant Women ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Risk Factors

PURPOSE: This study is a systematic review and meta-analysis designed to investigate effects of alcohol management programs for Korean university students. METHODS: Research results published until October 14, 2016 were systematically collected in accordance with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis). A total of 12 papers were selected for the meta-analysis. To estimate the effect size, meta-analysis of the studies was performed with the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis 3.0. RESULTS: The mean effect size of 12 studies in total (Hedges' g=-0.36; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: -0.76~0.05) was not significant statistically. In a study of college students classified as problematic drinking (total of 9), the drinking program showed a median effect size of Hedges' g=-0.57(95% CI: -0.96~-0.18). Results of the drinking-related outcome variables showed a significant effect size (Hedges' g=-0.61; 95% CI: -1.10~-0.13), but psychosocial related outcome variables were not significant (Hedges' g=-0.50; 95% CI: -1.24~0.23). CONCLUSION: It can be seen that the alcohol management program for college students has a significant effect on controlling the problem drinking of college students. In addition, application of a differentiated drinking program with problem drinkers selected as a risk group will be effective in controlling drinking and drinking related factors.
Alcohol Drinking ; Drinking ; Humans ; Korea

BACKGROUND: This research investigated the sensitivity and specificity of heavy and binge drinking for screening of alcohol use disorder. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted with 976 adults who visited the Sun Health Screening Center for health screenings in 2015. Daily drinking amount, drinking frequency per week, and weekly drinking amount were investigated. Using criteria from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, participants were classified as normal drinkers, heavy drinkers, or binge drinkers, and grouped by age and sex. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of heavy and binge drinking were compared for the diagnosis of alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) 4th edition-text revision and alcohol use disorder using the DSM 5th edition. RESULTS: The sensitivity of heavy and binge drinking for the diagnosis of alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence, and alcohol use disorder were 51.7%, 43.8%, and 35.3%, and 69.0%, 62.5%, and 48.2%, respectively. The specificity of these were 90.1%, 91.7%, and 95.5%, and 84.3%, 86.8%, and 91.2%, respectively. The PPV of these were 24.8%, 40.5%, and 72.7%, and 21.7%, 38.0%, and 65.2%, respectively. The NPV of these were 96.7%, 92.6%, and 81.2%, and 97.8%, 94.7%, and 83.7%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Heavy and binge drinking did not show enough diagnostic power to screen DSM alcohol use disorder although they did show high specificity and NPV.
Adult ; Alcoholism ; Alcohol Drinking ; Binge Drinking* ; Diagnosis* ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (U.S.) ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity