Problem drinkers in China: mostly men, usually poor, often stressed out, new study finds
- Alcohol dependence in China is becoming a significant national health problem, as in the West, says co-author of research published in the journal Addiction
- Problem drinking defined as drinking in the morning, being incapacitated by drink, unable to avoid drinking, having the shakes, and feeling bad after drinking
A study of half a million Chinese adults has found that eight per cent of men are problem drinkers, particularly those who are poor and live in rural areas.
Researchers from Peking University, the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and the University of Oxford studied more than 500,000 men and women aged 30 to 79 years from 10 rural and urban areas in China.
The study, published in the journal Addiction, defined “problem drinking” as drinking in the morning, being unable to work or to do anything due to drinking, negative emotions after drinking, being unable to avoid drinking, or having the shakes when stopping drinking.
Women in the study drank little alcohol, but a third of men drank alcohol regularly and a quarter of these had at least one indicator of problem drinking.
