ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION PATTERN AMONG WOMEN IN A RURAL YORUBA COMMUNITY IN NIGERIA

Indigenous Nigerian societies discourage alcohol consumption among women, yet international trends show alcohol consumption increasing in populations of developing countries, especially among women. This research implemented in 1994, examined the pattern of alcohol consumption among women in the rural town of Igbo-Ora, located in the southwestern state of Oyo in Nigeria. A majority of the 300 respondents (64%) were found to have tasted alcoholic beverages, and over half of these reported current alcohol use. Current drinkers reported consuming an average of 1.3 bottles (60 cl per bottle) of alcoholic beverage in the week preceding the survey. Current drinking status was associated with religion. Only 9% of the respondents with indigenous beliefs reported using alcohol, compared to 40% of Christian and 30% of Moslem respondents. Those who never drank were, on average, 5 years older than current or previous drinkers. Single, separated, or divorced women were more likely to drink than married or widowed women. Special uses of alcohol for women were identified, including easing the pains of childbirth. Furthermore, the respondents identified problems associated with drinking alcohol that women confronted: accidents, fighting, illnesses, mental problems, children learning to drink, child neglect, rape, and tarnishing of one's image. With less than one-third of women reporting that they are current drinkers, and among those weekly consumption being low, one could say that there is little evidence of alcohol misuse among women in Igbo-Ora. At the same time, the fact that current drinkers are younger implies that consumption rates may increase in the future. This information about women's beliefs, practices, and preferences will be of value in designing health education programs to prevent future alcohol-associated problems. [Translations are provided in the International Abstracts Section of this issue.]