Sociocultural Determinants of Alcohol Abuse by Youths in Luanda Sub-county, Vihiga County, Kenya

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO, 2014) indicates that 3.3 million deaths or 5.9% of all global deaths annually are attributable to alcohol abuse. The WHO (2014) further indicates that the global burden of disease and injury attributable to alcohol abuse stands at 5.1%. Alcohol consumption relates to more than 200 health conditions. New studies have given data on causal relationships between alcohol abuse and the incidence and clinical outcomes of infectious diseases including tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and pneumonia. Besides, alcohol is associated with social, economic, mental and emotional issues expressed as absenteeism or abuses in social institutions such as workplaces and relationships. Non-consumers of alcohol have often become victims of alcohol related incidences. Youths are defined by the United Nations as young people between the ages of 15-24 years of age (United Nations, 2015). This is purely for statistical purposes without prejudice to other definitions by Member States. The Government of Kenya defines ‘youth’ as any person between the ages of 18- 35 in its Kenya National Youth Policy (Government of Kenya [GOK], 2006). Seventy-five per cent of the Kenyan population are aged 30 years and below (Kenya National Bureau of Statistics [KNBS], 2017). According to the National Agency for the Campaign against Drug Abuse [NACADA] (2012), Alcohol is the most abused substance in Kenya. Current abuse of alcohol in Kenya among persons aged 18-35 years is 17.6% against the national average of the general populace which is at 13.6%; with the urban youthful population abusing alcohol more frequently (17.0%) compared to the rural youthful population (11.8%). Moreover, more males abuse alcohol than females. NACADA (2012) also indicates that the Western Region of Kenya aggregate of sub-counties including Luanda reported current usage of 10.2% of alcohol within the population. However, a study done in Kakemega County by Takahashi, Wilunda, Karani, Wilunda and Useneya (2017) set the prevalence of alcohol abuse at 31.7%. The report alludes to under reporting of prevalence rates by a Kenyan government agency, NACADA, and proximity of the Western region to the republic of Uganda, which has a prevalence of 28.6%. It also infers to the shared ethnic and cultural backgrounds between Western Kenya and Uganda including trends of alcohol abuse.