Analysis of Gender Differences in Alcohol Use and Related Problems among University Students in Minsk, Belarus

There is a variety of inconsistencies in the differences in alcohol use and related problems between male and female genders. This study was aimed at analyzing the gender differences in alcohol use and related problems among university students in Minsk, Belarus. A total of 465 male (average age of 21) and 1030 female (average age of 20.5) students from four major universities in Minsk, Belarus were administered WHO recommended standardized screening instruments – AUDIT, MAST, CAGE questionnaire, as well as other alcohol related questions. The male to female ratio for the prevalence of alcohol problems according to the AUDIT was 3.34, while the ratio for alcohol users was 0.97. There are a wide gender differences in the pattern of alcohol use and preference for different alcoholic beverages, cause for drinking, and other alcohol related problems like injuries and blackouts.

Authors:

• M. O. Welcome
• Y. E. Razvodovsky
• V. A. Pereverzev

Keywords:

• Alcohol related problems
• Gender differences
• University students
• Belarus.

References:

[1] K. Bloomfield, A. Allamani, F. Beck, K. H. Bergmark, L. Csemy, I.
Eisenbach-Stangl, et al., "Gender, Culture and Alcohol Problems: A
Multi-national Study. Project Final Report," Berlin: Institute for Medical
Informatics, Biometrics & Epidemiology, Charité Universit├ñtsmedizin
Berlin, 2005, pp. 10-46.
[2] T. M. Nazarius,. K. Rogers, "Alcohol and its association with sexual
abstinence, condom use and risky behavior among unmarried young
people aged 18-24 years in Uganda," Afr. J. Drug Alcohol Stud.,vol.
4, no. (1 & 2), pp. 17-31, 2005.
[3] C. S. Aneshensel, R. R. Frerichs, V. A. Clark, "Family roles and sex
differences in depression," J. Health Soc. Behav., vol. 22, pp. 379-393,
1981.
[4] Ahlström, S., Bloomfield, K. and Knibbe, R., 2001. Gender differences
in drinking patterns in nine European countries: Descriptive findings.
Substance Abuse, 22, 69-85.
[5] T. David, "Alcohol use & tertiary students in Aotearoa - New Zealand,"
ALAC Occasional Publication No. 21, 2004.
[6] D. H. Jernigan, "Global Status Report: Alcohol and Young People,"
Geneva: WHO, 2001
[7] L.G.C. Catherine,. "Global status report on alcohol," Geneva: WHO,
2004.
[8] K. Kypri, J. B. Saunders, S. J. Gallagher, "Acceptability of various
brief intervention approaches for hazardous drinking among university
students," Alcohol. Alcohol., vol. 38, no. 6, pp. 626-628, 2003.
[9] R. S. Mangus, C. E. Hawkins, M. J. Miller, "Tobacco and Alcohol Use
Among 1996 Medical School Graduates," JAMA, vol. 280, pp. 1192-
1195, 1998.
[10] S. O'Brien, H. Sinclair, S. Soni, T. O'Dowd, D. Thomas, "Trends in
alcohol consumption in undergraduate third level students: 1992-1999,"
Irish J. Med. Sci., vol. 170, no. 4, pp. 224-227, 1999.
[11] L. G. Thomas, K. Kimberly, D. William, "A campus-community
coalition to control alcohol related problems off campus: An
environmental management case study," J. Am. College Health, vol. 48,
no. 5, pp. 211-214, 2000.
[12] M. O. Welcome, Y. E. Razvodovsky, E. A. Dotsenko, V. A. Pereverzev,
"Prevalence of alcohol-linked problems among Nigerian students in
Minsk, Belarus and their academic performance," Pð¥rt Harcourt Med.
J., vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 120-129, 2008.
[13] Y. E. Razvodovsky, "Epidemiology of alcoholism in Belarus," Grodno:
Grodno State Medical University Press, 2004.