No abstract available.
Binge Drinking*

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.

BACKGROUND: It is reported that heavy drinking increases the risk of metabolic syndrome. But there have been few studies on the relationship between the intensity of drinking and metabolic syndrome when drinking the same amount of alcohol. This study aimed to assess the relationship between the frequency of binge drinking and metabolic syndrome in Korean adult men. METHODS: From the database of the 4th and 5th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted in 2007-2010, data of 8,305 adult men (> or =19 years of age) was included in this analysis. Cross-sectional relationship between the frequency of binge drinking and metabolic syndrome was investigated adjusting for pure alcohol consumed per day. RESULTS: Adjusting for various confounders including pure alcohol consumed per day, the adjusted odds ratio for metabolic syndrome in those in higher frequency (more than 1/wk) binge drinking group was 1.62 (95% confidence interval, 1.30 to 2.03; P for trend = <0.001) compared to those in the non-binge drinking group. Through analysis of the relationship between pure alcohol consumed per day and metabolic syndrome, it was found that pure alcohol consumed per day had a positive relation to metabolic syndrome in the higher frequency binge drinking group (P for trend = 0.041). The relationship was inverse in the non-binge drinking group (P for trend = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Our study found a positive relationship between frequency of binge drinking and metabolic syndrome in adult men. And the effect of drinking on metabolic syndrome may depend on the frequency of binge drinking. Further studies are required to confirm this association.
Adult* ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Binge Drinking* ; Drinking ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Nutrition Surveys ; Odds Ratio

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*

BACKGROUND: Drinking problem is known to affect not only patients but also their offsprings. This study purposed to examine the drinking behaviors and emotional aspects of university students whose fathers have drinking problems. METHODS: Fathers' drinking problems of 208 students were measured by father?short Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test. The degree of alcohol use, anxiety, and depression were measured by AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test), Zung's self?rating anxiety and depression scales. RESULTS: The male students whose fathers have drinking problems showed higher rate of binge drinking (adjusted OR 3.72; 95% CI 1.03~13.5), heavy drinking (adjusted OR 2.64; 95% CI 1.13~6.62), and harmful and hazardous drinking (adjusted OR 4.12; 95% CI 1.30~12.89) than the male students whose fathers do not have drinking problems. The female students whose fathers have drinking problems showed higher rate of depression (adjusted OR 9.29; 95% CI 1.91~24.31) than the female students whose fathers do not have drinking problems. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that primary care physicians in a university setting need to evaluate and counsel drinking problems in male students, and emotional aspects in female students whose fathers have drinking problems.
Alcoholism ; Anxiety* ; Binge Drinking ; Depression* ; Drinking Behavior* ; Drinking* ; Fathers ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Michigan ; Physicians, Primary Care ; Weights and Measures

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

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Obesity and alcohol drinking are associated with metabolic syndrome. However, few studies show the relationship between alcohol drinking and metabolic syndrome according to varying degrees of obesity. This study aimed to determine the association between alcohol drinking and metabolic syndrome in obese and non-obese Korean male adults. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 5,867 males aged ≥ 20 years who were examined at the Soonchunhyang University health promotion center during June 2008–December 2010. The subjects were divided into non-obese (body mass index [BMI] < 25 kg/m²) and obese (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m²) groups and further divided according to weekly alcohol consumption into nondrinking (0 drinks/week), moderate drinking (≤ 14 drinks/week), and heavy drinking (> 14 drinks/week) groups. The subjects were also categorized into binge drinking and non-binge drinking groups. To obtain odds ratios (ORs) for metabolic syndrome, binary logistic regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: The overall metabolic syndrome prevalence was 27.3% (12.8%, non-obese group; 50.4%, obese group). After adjusting for age, physical activity, and smoking, in the non-obese group, the OR for heavy drinking with binge drinking (reference: nondrinking) was 1.56 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.12–2.18), with a significant increase in metabolic syndrome prevalence. In the obese group, the OR for heavy drinking with binge drinking was 1.42 (95% CI = 1.07–1.88), showing a significant increase in metabolic syndrome prevalence (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In both non-obese and obese Korean males, heavy drinking with binge drinking was associated with increased risk of metabolic syndrome. Thus, both non-obese and obese males should restrict their alcohol intake and not indulge in binge drinking.
Adult* ; Alcohol Drinking ; Binge Drinking* ; Body Mass Index ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Drinking* ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male* ; Motor Activity ; Obesity ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Smoke ; Smoking