Prevalence of binge drinking and its association with mental health conditions and quality of life in Singapore. (January 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lee, Ying Ying; Wang, Peizhi; Abdin, Edimansyah; Chang, Sherilyn; Shafie, Saleha; Sambasivam, Rajeswari; Tan, Kelvin Bryan; Tan, Cheryl; Heng, Derrick; Vaingankar, Janhavi; Chong, Siow Ann; Subramaniam, Mythily
• Is Part Of: Addictive behaviors. Volume 100(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-01
• Subjects: Substance abuse -- Periodicals; Alcoholism -- Periodicals; Drug addiction -- Periodicals; Nicotine addiction -- Periodicals; Smoking -- Periodicals; Gambling -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 362.29
• DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2019.106114
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0306-4603

Abstract

Abstract: Aims: Although heavy alcohol consumption has been linked to a myriad of adverse health problems, there is a paucity of population-based studies in Asian countries. The aims of this study were to determine the past-year prevalence of binge drinking in Singapore and its associations with socio-demographic factors, mental health conditions and quality of life. Methods: Data from the Singapore Mental Health Study 2016 ( N = 6126) on binge drinking were included in the analysis. Multiple logistic regressions were used to assess the adjusted odds ratio (ORadj ) between binge drinking and relevant socio-demographic variables, and mental health conditions. Results: In the sample, 13.7% of respondents reported past-year binge drinking, 17.6% of males and 9.8% of females were binge drinkers. Most of them were infrequent binge drinkers (7.3% binge drink less than monthly). Moderate associations between binge drinking and mood and anxiety disorders (ORadj = 1.8–4.4), were noted, while associations with alcohol use disorders were much stronger (ORadj = 5.3–9.7). Associations between binge drinking and anxiety disorders were observed exclusively in females (ORadj = 2.3–3.3). Binge drinkers reported a lower quality of life compared to their non-binging counterparts; binge-drinking males seemed to be more affected. Conclusions: The prevalence of binge drinking is low in Singapore compared to global estimates; most binge drinkers in Singapore were infrequent binge drinkers. However, binge drinking was found to be associated with a myriad of mental health conditions, and a decline in quality of life was noted among binge drinkers. Highlights: While binge drinking is a growing concern in Asia, there is a lack of published data on the prevalence of binge drinking in Asian societies. Singapore Mental Health Study 2016 estimated 13.7% of Singapore residents binge drink. Youths (aged 18 to 34 years) were more likely to binge drink compared to their older counterparts. Moderate to strong associations were found between binge drinking and various mental health conditions. Binge drinking seemed to affect males and females differently.