Developing the High-Risk Drinking Scorecard Model in Korea

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to develop a high-risk drinking scorecard using cross-sectional data from the 2014 Korea Community Health Survey. METHODS: Data were collected from records for 149,592 subjects who had participated in the Korea Community Health Survey conducted from 2014. The scorecard model was developed using data mining, a scorecard and points to double the odds approach for weighted multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: This study found that there were many major influencing factors for high-risk drinkers which included gender, age, educational level, occupation, whether they received health check-ups, depressive symptoms, over-moderate physical activity, mental stress, smoking status, obese status, and regular breakfast. Men in their thirties to fifties had a high risk of being a drinker and the risks in office workers and sales workers were high. Those individuals who were current smokers had a higher risk of drinking. In the scorecard results, the highest score range was observed for gender, age, educational level, and smoking status, suggesting that these were the most important risk factors. CONCLUSION: A credit risk scorecard system can be applied to quantify the scoring method, not only to help the medical service provider to understand the meaning, but also to help the general public to understand the danger of high-risk drinking more easily.

Drinking Patterns Among Korean Adults: Results of the 2009 Korean Community Health Survey / 예방의학회지

OBJECTIVES: In Korea, the proportion of deaths due to alcohol is estimated at 8.9%, far exceeding the global estimate of 3.8%. Therefore, this study was performed to examine the factors associated with low-risk, moderate-risk, and high-risk drinking patterns in Korean adults and to identify target populations for prevention and control of alcohol-related diseases and deaths. METHODS: We analyzed data from 230 715 Korean adults aged 19 years and older who participated in the 2009 Korean Community Health Survey. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to examine associations between socio-demographic and health-related factors and patterns of alcohol use. RESULTS: A substantially larger proportion of men than women engaged in high risk (21.2% vs. 3.4%) and moderate-risk alcohol use (15.5% vs. 8.2%). In both sexes, moderate- and high-risk uses were associated with younger age, higher income, being currently employed, smoking, being overweight/obese, and good self-rated health. CONCLUSIONS: Given the large proportion of the population that is engaging in moderate- and high-risk drinking and given the social norms that support this behavior, public health policies and campaigns to reduce alcohol consumption targeting the entire population are indicated.

The Epidemiology of Alcohol Use Disorders / 임상당뇨병

Alcohol use disorders (alcohol abuse and dependence) are characterized by maladaptive patterns of alcohol consumption manifested by symptoms leading to clinically significant impairment or distress. Further, alcohol use disorders are associated with many physical, mental and behavioral disorders and consequences. The prevalence of alcohol use disorders in Korea is higher than in other countries in Asia and comparable to western countries. Here we present the prevalence and correlates of alcohol use disorders and high-risk drinking determined by analyzing the results of the Korean Epidemiologic Catchment Area (KEKA) survey and The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). We found that the prevalence rates of alcohol use disorders and high-risk drinking are substantially high. The risks of alcohol use disorders and high-risk drinking are higher in middle-aged men and young women. We also found that the treatment prevalence of alcohol use disorders and high-risk drinking is relatively low. In conclusion, in a clinical setting, assessment of alcohol use disorders is highly recommended. Further, we suggest that a public awareness campaign is needed to encourage the treatment of alcohol use disorders.