Factors Associated With Alcohol Dependence Among Adult Male Clients in Butabika Hospital, Uganda

Abstract

Alcohol dependence is among the leading causes of psychiatric morbidity the world over, and it is estimated that there are more than 63 million males with alcohol-dependence-related disorders (World Health Organization, 2004). In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), alcohol dependence is known to be related to risky sexual behaviors and depressive disorders in males (Institute of Medicine, 2010; Pitso & Obot, 2011). In Uganda, a country of more than 32 million people, alcohol dependence is among the main causes of psychiatric morbidity (Ministry of Health in Uganda, 2005). Historically, alcoholic beverages such as beer have often been used to bind different Ugandan cultures together and during celebrations of important events such as marriages (Wolf, Busza, Bufumbo, & Witworth, 2006). Uganda not only lacks a clear national alcohol policy, but has weak and poorly enforced laws, thereby providing a fertile ground foran increase in the availability and accessibility of alcohol (Uganda Youth Development Link, 2008). Many households are involved in informal alcohol production for income purposes, resulting in alcohol being easily available at the household level (Holmila, Makela, & Osterberg, 2011).