• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.1-12
• /
• 2017

Objectives: The aim of this study was to verify relationships between light- and heavy alcohol drinking and health-risk behaviors such as smoking, inappropriate weight control, physical inactivity, and sexual activity among adolescents. Methods: The data of 68,043 adolescents in middle- and high school collected from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey in 2015 were analyzed. For statistical analysis, logistic regression model was used. Results: The rate of heavy alcohol drinking increased with increasing age up to 21.5% among boys and 13.9% among girls. Among boys, heavy alcohol drinkers were at a higher risk of smoking (adjusted odds ratios [OR]=3.3, 95% confidence interval [CI]=2.8-3.8), inappropriate weight control (OR=1.7; 95% CI=1.4-2.1), having sexual intercourse (OR=3.6; 95% CI=3.0-4.2) than light drinkers. Multiple health-risk behaviors of smoking, inappropriate weight control and sexual intercourse also increased in accordance with the severity of drinking alcohol beverage compared to non-drinker. Physical inactivity was decreased among heavy drinkers compared to light drinkers (OR=0.8; 95% CI=0.7-0.9 for inactivity of moderate exercise). Similar results were observed among girls. Conclusions: Alcohol drinking especially heavy alcohol drinking among adolescents is related to other risky behaviors including smoking, inappropriate weight control, and sexual activity. To prevent health problems in adolescents, it is necessary to adopt a combined approach regarding heavy drinking and health-risk behaviors.

• Journal of Community Nutrition
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.61-66
• /
• 2004

This study was performed to investigate the nutritional status associated with alcohol consumption in Korean adults men and women. The data was derived from the 2001 Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey. The number of subjects included were 6090 (Men: 2789, Women: 3031) aged 20 (equation omitted) < 65y. Men consuming moderate alcohol ((equation omitted) 24 g/day but < 48g/day) had higher intakes of energy and vitamin B groups than the ones consuming less than 24g/day. Heavy drinking men reporting more than 48g alcohol/day were observed as having 3207.2kcal of energy intake (130% of Korean RDA) and significantly elevated levels in most of the nutrients. For women drinkers, when the alcohol consumption was moderate ((equation omitted) 12g/day but 24g/day) or heavy((equation omitted) 36g/day) the energy intake was 2188.9kcal(100% of RDA) or 2627.5kcal (130% of RDA). The other nutrients protein, fat, calcium, iron and vitamin B group were also higher in women with heavy alcohol consumption. Heavy drinking women showed significantly higher weight, BMI and HDL-C. In contrast, heavy drinking men did not show any significant difference in BMI but showed significantly elevated blood pressure, HDL-C and lower serum cholesterol.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.166-172
• /
• 2018

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Obesity and alcohol drinking are associated with metabolic syndrome. However, few studies show the relationship between alcohol drinking and metabolic syndrome according to varying degrees of obesity. This study aimed to determine the association between alcohol drinking and metabolic syndrome in obese and non-obese Korean male adults. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 5,867 males aged ${\geq}20$ years who were examined at the Soonchunhyang University health promotion center during June 2008-December 2010. The subjects were divided into non-obese (body mass index [BMI] < $25kg/m^2$) and obese (BMI ${\geq}25kg/m^2$) groups and further divided according to weekly alcohol consumption into nondrinking (0 drinks/week), moderate drinking (${\leq}14$ drinks/week), and heavy drinking (> 14 drinks/week) groups. The subjects were also categorized into binge drinking and non-binge drinking groups. To obtain odds ratios (ORs) for metabolic syndrome, binary logistic regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: The overall metabolic syndrome prevalence was 27.3% (12.8%, non-obese group; 50.4%, obese group). After adjusting for age, physical activity, and smoking, in the non-obese group, the OR for heavy drinking with binge drinking (reference: nondrinking) was 1.56 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.12-2.18), with a significant increase in metabolic syndrome prevalence. In the obese group, the OR for heavy drinking with binge drinking was 1.42 (95% CI = 1.07-1.88), showing a significant increase in metabolic syndrome prevalence (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In both non-obese and obese Korean males, heavy drinking with binge drinking was associated with increased risk of metabolic syndrome. Thus, both non-obese and obese males should restrict their alcohol intake and not indulge in binge drinking.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.101-112
• /
• 2011

The objective of this study was to examine alcohol consumption rates and the perception of drinking cultures among college students in the Wonju area. An examination of factors such as frequency of drinking, average quantity consumed, and frequency of heavy drinking suggested that the drinking rates were relatively high. Over 70% of subjects drank at least once a week, 66.2% typically drank more than 5 servings at a time, and 19.2% of males and 13.0% of females were heavy drinkers. It was revealed from an AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test) assessment that 71.3% of the subjects tested had various levels of alcohol-related problems. These problems were more severe in subjects that were male, selfboarding, or overweight. Alcohol related knowledge was not high because the subjects didn't know or incorrectly recognized some contents such as blood alcohol concentration, the energy content of alcohol, and the empty caloric characteristics of alcohol. Generally male, self-boarding, and overweight persons were not critical of the undesirable characteristics associated with drinking culture. Two opinions that were generally considered to be permissible were: 'Men should be able to drink' and 'Drinking is essential for a smooth human relationship'.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.669-677
• /
• 2009

The purpose of this study was to compare the anthropometry, nutrient intakes, dietary - related behaviors and health - related behaviors of male workers that were divided according to their alcohol consumption. The mean height, weight and BMI of all subjects were 172.0$\pm$5.8 cm, 67.8$\pm$9.3 kg and 22.9$\pm$2.6 kg/$m^2$, respectively. The WHR was higher in the heavy drinking group than in the other groups(p<0.01), while the other anthropometric indices were not significantly different among the three groups. The calorie intake was highest(p<0.001) in the heavy drinking group(3,270.4$\pm$686.5 kcal), followed by moderate(2,602.8$\pm$415.8 kcal) drinking group and light drinking group(2,341.5$\pm$449.4 kcal). As alcohol consumption increased, there was a decrease in the percent of energy derived from carbohydrates and lipids, while there was an increase in the percent of energy derived from proteins and alcohol(p<0.001). The heavy and moderate drinking groups had a highers intake of protein compared to the light drinking group, and the heavy drinking group had a higher intake of lipid compared to the light and moderate drinking groups(p<0.01). The intakes of vitamin $B_2$, niacin and phosphorus were lower in the moderate group than the other groups(p<0.01). The average MAR(Mean adequacy ratio) was 1.44$\pm$0.35 and the intake of all nutrients, except for folic acid, was much higher than the Korean RI(Recommended intake). The fruit intake frequency and sleeping hours were the lowest in the heavy drinking group(p<0.05) and the subjects preferred the following order of food products when they drink: meat(42.5%), fish & shellfish(30.0%), fruit & vegetable(22.5%) and others(5.0%) as a side dish. The average rates of smoking and exercise for all the subjects were 77.5% and 67.5%, respectively. The results of this study showed that heavy alcohol drinkers were more prone to abdominal obesity and related chronic degenerative diseases, indicating the need for extensive nutritional education for heavy alcohol drinkers.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.9 no.5
• /
• pp.503-510
• /
• 2015

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Increased serum homocysteine (Hcy) levels have been reported to be related to the occurrence of cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases. High serum Hcy levels are also related to the development of secondary stroke and all-cause mortality. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of high serum homocysteine level and relating factors, and the change over the 10 month period post-stroke. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Consecutive stroke patients who were admitted to the Asan Medical Center were enrolled. Ten months after the onset of stroke, an interview with a structured questionnaire was performed and blood samples were obtained for the biochemical parameters. Nutritional status was determined using the mini nutritional assessment (MNA) score and dietary nutrient intakes were also obtained using a 24 hour recall method. RESULTS: Out of 203 patients, 84% were malnourished or at risk of malnutrition, and 26% had high homocysteine levels at 10 months post-stroke. Using logistic regression, the factors related with high homocysteine levels at 10 months post-stroke included heavy alcohol consumption (P = 0.020), low MNA scores (P = 0.026), low serum vitamin $B_{12}$ (P = 0.021) and low serum folate levels (P = 0.003). Of the 156 patients who had normal homocysteine levels at admission, 36 patients developed hyperhomocysteinemia 10 months post-stroke, which was related to heavy alcohol consumption (P = 0.013). Persistent hyperhomocysteinemia, observed in 22 patients (11%), was related to male sex (P = 0.031), old age (P = 0.042), low vitamin $B_6$ intake (P = 0.029), and heavy alcohol consumption (P = 0.013). CONCLUSION: Hyperhomocysteinemia is common in post-stroke, and is related to malnutrition, heavy alcohol drinking and low serum level of folate and vitamin $B_{12}$. Strategies to prevent or manage high homocysteine levels should consider these factors.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.146-161
• /
• 1995

This study is an effort to bring our attention to social dependence on alcohol, focusing on previous studies of drinking behaviors. Although drinking behavior and problems must be understood in a biopsychosocial framework, a certain aspect is often ignored in alcohol research. A few attention has been paid to social aspect of alcohol abuse or dependence. Social processes of drinking behavior deserve to have same attention as other aspects, psychological and physical aspects of the behavior. Literature show that the interdependence among group members exists to regulate individual's drinking behavior. Such social interactions tend to control drinking level for individual in terms of amounts, frequency, and preference. The drinking level tends to be dependent on desires for heavy drinkers, ignoring variabilities of individual's sensitivity to alcohol. However, such a heavy-oriented tendency in drinking behavior may have different patterns which are function of normative orientation of alcohol. negotiation among group members, and ethnoreligious characteristics. Perspectives from conflict tradition and symbolic interactionism are welcomed to illuminate multi-dimentional aspects of social dependence. Policy implication were discussed from public health perspective.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.387-393
• /
• 2022

Background: Problem drinking is a perennial concern in the US fire service. A large literature has documented the importance of addressing alcohol norms in intervention research. The purpose of this study was to explore alcohol norms in a national cohort of firefighters (FFs) to inform intervention development in this occupational group. Methods: Data were from a national online survey of career and volunteer FFs (N = 674). Participants were recruited through national fire service listservs and a database of FFs who had agreed to be contacted for research. Results: When asked about "acceptable" levels of alcohol consumption, FFs on average suggested levels which exceeded public health guidelines. Further, approximately half of career and volunteer FFs believed that, at least under some circumstances, drinking until intoxicated was normative. When asked how long should elapse between a FFs last drink and reporting for duty, the average suggested lag was 11.2 hours (sd = 4.6). However, among male volunteer FFs who reported heavy drinking, the average was 6.68 hours (sd = 4.77). Conclusions: Given the high prevalence of heavy and binge drinking in the fire service, it is not surprising that the alcohol norms found in this study were consistent with a culture of drinking. Participants' reports of alcohol use among their peers were consistent with the actual prevalence of problem drinking. Thus, education and prevention efforts in this occupation should focus on changing norms about alcohol use, including linking heavy drinking to other health and safety issues they face.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.41 no.3
• /
• pp.232-241
• /
• 2008

Moderate alcohol consumption has been known to be associated with reduced risk for coronary heart disease (CHD). We assessed the association between alcohol consumption and CHD-related risk factors [hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM) , high total cholesterol, high triglyceride (TG), low HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), and high LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C)] in Korean. After excluding those with extreme intake values, the number of final subjects included in the analysis was 4,662 Korean adults aged over 20 years (1,961 men, 2,701 women) who participate in the 2005 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The subjects were divided into four or five groups; none-alcohol consumption group, moderate alcohol consumption group (<15 or 15.0-29.9 g/d), heavy alcohol consumption group (30-69.9 g/d or ${\geq}$ 70 g/d in men, ${\geq}$ 30 g/d in women). Odds ratios (ORs) were estimated from logistic regression adjusting for potential covariates. Alcohol consumption was inversely associated with low HDL-C in both men and women. However, heavy alcohol intake (${\geq}$ 70 g/d) significantly increased risk for hypertension, DM, and hypertriglyceridemia in men. The frequency of alcohol intake was also associated with CHD risk. The risk for low HDLC was decreased with alcohol consumption (${\geq}$ 1 times/wk), but frequent alcohol intake (${\geq}$ 4 times/wk) increased the risk for hypertension. This study revealed that moderate alcohol consumption has protective effect on CHD-related risk factors in Korean population.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
• /
• v.28 no.5
• /
• pp.131-143
• /
• 2011

Objectives: This study is to develop a web-based prevention program of alcohol-related problem among university students and to examine its efficacy in changing drinking behaviors and reducing harms associated with alcohol use. Methods: An hour-length program was developed containing news paper articles, pictures, stories and questionnaires in a multimedia format such as flash, animation, and text. Survey data were analyzed to examine program efficacy from a convenient sample of 1,080 freshmen enrolled in a participating university. Results: Participation in the program has resulted in statistically significant changes in drinking behavior between pretest and follow-up, including reduction of frequency of drinking, heavy drinking, and intoxication, typical amount of drinking per occasion, and subjective norm of heavy drinking. Repeated ANOVA revealed significant increases in knowledge on alcohol related facts, including recommended drinking unit by WHO with substantial level of effect size and in making negative alcohol expectancy with very low effect size. Further studies are guaranteed with randomized controlled trial for the program effectiveness. Conclusions: A web-based prevention program of alcohol-related problems in this study was efficacious in changing drinking behavior, knowledge on alcohol-related fact, alcohol expectancy and subjective drinking norm.