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Study reveals increased consumption of alcohol among women

Study reveals increased consumption of alcohol among women

A Brazilian study recently published in the scientific journal Clinics and published by the Health and Alcohol Information Center (CISA) investigated consumption patterns and differences between men and women in relation to problems with alcohol intake. The study analyzed data from the São Paulo Catchment Area Study - a study that is part of a worldwide consortium coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO) - and verified the behavior of 1,464 adult individuals living near Hospital das The prevalence and relationships between gender, age, educational level and other social factors for the different patterns of alcohol consumption were evaluated in a 12-month period, which were categorized as: non-heavy use (use of at least 12 doses during the study period without heavy use), heavy episodic use (five or more doses on a single occasion for men and four or more for women), heavy and frequent use (heavy use of The results indicate that approximately 22% of the respondents (32.4% of the women and 8.7% of the men) are abstainers, 60% , 3% are drinkers (17.3% of men and 10.9% of women) have made heavy and frequent use of alcohol.

One of the main findings of the study was that, although men are twice as likely to be alcoholic, the two sexes presented the same types of problems related to abuse, such as episodes of violence, impairment in social activities, traffic accidents, falls, among others. say that with the changing role of women in society and the drive for gender equality, differences in the consequences of alcohol use have declined. In addition, increased consumption of alcohol by women may be associated with the stress of double daily work. According to the researchers, measures should be taken to contain substance abuse regardless of gender or age group. The research also concludes that fifteen years ago, while seven men drank, only one among them had the same habit. Today, the picture is already quite different: for every woman who consumes alcohol, the male ratio has decreased to 1.2.

The harmful use of alcoholic beverages in Brazil and the world is a serious public health problem and contributes to losses significant in terms of morbidity and mortality. "As a medical specialist in chemical dependency, I believe scientific information on the subject should be more and more widespread," says psychiatrist Arthur Guerra, a specialist in My Life.

Ask questions about alcohol abuse

Effects on the body are complex due to the influence of several individual factors along with specific characteristics of drinking such as volume, time spent, consumption patterns, among others. "The World Health Organization (WHO) has found that alcohol is associated with more than 60 types of acute and chronic diseases and injuries, including abuse and dependence, liver cirrhosis, various types of cancer, miscarriage, among others." says psychiatrist Arthur.

What is alcohol dependence?

Alcoholism is a chronic, multifactorial disease comprising different symptoms. "This disease is characterized by the recurrence of problems arising from the use of alcohol, which lead to clinically significant harm or suffering," says Arthur Guerra. According to him, alcoholism manifests itself when it meets at least three of the criteria set forth below, occurring at any time in the 12-month period:

1. Alcohol tolerance, defined by a need for ever greater amounts of the substance to acquire intoxication or reduction of effect with the continued use of the same amount of substance.

2. Abstinence, which can only be cured by ingestion of a specific drink or similar product.

3. The substance is often consumed in larger quantities or for a longer period than intended.

5. Much time is spent on activities required to obtain the substance, use of the substance, or recovery from its effects.

6. Important social, occupational or recreational activities are abandoned or reduced by the use of the substance.

7. The use of the substance continues, despite the awareness of having a persistent or recurring physical or psychological problem that is likely to be caused or exacerbated by the substance.

How to know when someone is dependent on alcohol or when to seek help? questionnaires that may aid in the diagnosis of disorders related to alcohol use. For example: Have you ever thought that you should lower your alcohol consumption? Has anyone ever criticized you over the drink? Have you ever felt bad or guilty about drinking? Have you woken up and the first thing you did was drink to feel good? "If the individual responds positively to one of these issues, it may be indicative of problems arising from the use of the substance," says psychiatrist Arthur. "More than one affirmative answer indicates that there is a high probability of having problems related to such consumption."


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