Prevalence of Alcoholic Liver Disease and Its Association with Socioeconomic Status in North-Eastern China

Background Alcohol consumption has substantially increased in China during the last 3 decades. Socioeconomic status (SES) most likely influences the development of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) in Chinese people who excessively consume alcohol. At the present time, however, little information is available in this field. The objectives of this study were to investigate the population‐based prevalence of ALD and to identify the correlation of socioeconomics with the development of ALD. Methods A cross‐sectional survey was conducted in 8,186 individuals who resided in Shandong Province and were over 18 years old in 2011 using a randomized multistage clustered sampling approach. Among these subjects, 7,295 (89.12%) were interviewed. Questionnaires covered demographic characteristic, medical history, current medication, and health‐relevant behavior, particularly alcohol consumption, dietary habit, and physical activity. Anthropometric measurements, biochemical tests, and abdominal ultrasonography were also performed. Results Among the 7,295 subjects, 624 (8.55%) were diagnosed with ALD. The prevalence rate was significantly higher in males than in females (15.76% in males vs. 1.42% in females, p