Zheng Catherine, Conigrave James H, Conigrave Katherine M, Wilson Scott, Perry Jimmy, Chikritzhs Tanya N, Fitts Michelle S, Lee K S Kylie
The University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Discipline of Addiction Medicine, NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Indigenous Health and Alcohol, Sydney, Australia.
Sydney Local Health District, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Drug Health Services, Sydney, Australia.
Drug Alcohol Rev. 2022 Jan;41(1):114-124. doi: 10.1111/dar.13333. Epub 2021 Jun 21.
Measuring self-reported alcohol use is challenging in any population, including when episodic drinking may be common. Drinking among Indigenous Australians has been shown to vary greatly within and between communities. However, most survey methods assume 'regular' patterns of drinking. National estimates have also been shown to underestimate alcohol use among this group. This paper describes drinking patterns in two representative community samples (urban and remote).
Indigenous Australians (aged 16+ years) in two South Australian sites were recruited to complete the Grog Survey App. The App is a validated, interactive tablet-based survey tool, designed to help Indigenous Australians describe their drinking. Drinking patterns were described using medians and interquartile ranges; gender and remoteness were compared using Wilcoxon rank-sum tests. Spearman correlations explored the relationship between drinking patterns and age. Logistic regressions tested if beverage or container preference differed by remoteness or gender.
Three-quarters of participants (77.0%, n = 597/775) were current drinkers. Median standard drinks per occasion was 7.8 (78 g), 1.3 drinking occasions per month (median). Three-quarters of current drinkers (73.7%) reported a period without drinking (median: 60 days). Remote drinkers were more likely to drink beer. Improvised containers were used by 40.5% of drinkers.
Episodic drinking with extended 'dry' periods and from non-standard drinking containers was common in this representative sample of Indigenous Australians. The diversity of container use and beverage preference, by gender and remoteness, illustrates nuances in drinking patterns between communities. It shows the importance of community-level data to inform local strategies addressing alcohol misuse.
在任何人群中，测量自我报告的酒精使用情况都具有挑战性，包括在偶尔饮酒可能很常见的情况下。澳大利亚原住民社区内部和社区之间的饮酒情况差异很大。然而，大多数调查方法都假定饮酒模式是“规律的”。国家估计数也被证明低估了该群体的酒精使用情况。本文描述了两个具有代表性的社区样本（城市和偏远地区）的饮酒模式。
招募南澳大利亚两个地点16岁及以上的澳大利亚原住民，以完成“格罗格调查应用程序”。该应用程序是一种经过验证的、基于平板电脑的交互式调查工具，旨在帮助澳大利亚原住民描述他们的饮酒情况。饮酒模式用中位数和四分位间距来描述；使用威尔科克森秩和检验比较性别和偏远程度。斯皮尔曼相关性分析探讨饮酒模式与年龄之间的关系。逻辑回归检验饮料或容器偏好是否因偏远程度或性别而异。
四分之三的参与者（77.0%，n = 597/775）为当前饮酒者。每次饮酒场合的标准饮酒量中位数为7.8（78克），每月饮酒场合中位数为1.3次。四分之三的当前饮酒者（73.7%）报告有一段时间不饮酒（中位数：60天）。偏远地区的饮酒者更有可能饮用啤酒。40.5%的饮酒者使用临时容器。
在这个具有代表性的澳大利亚原住民样本中，间歇性饮酒且伴有较长“戒酒期”以及使用非标准饮酒容器的情况很常见。按性别和偏远程度划分的容器使用和饮料偏好的多样性，说明了不同社区饮酒模式的细微差别。这表明社区层面的数据对于为解决酒精滥用问题的地方策略提供信息的重要性。
