Prevalence of alcohol dependence in Mongolia: a nationwide population-based, cross-sectional study

Alcohol-related problems are a major health issue in Mongolia and remain underdiagnosed. The nationwide population-based, cross-sectional study reported here was carried out between September and November 2013. It aimed to determine the prevalence of alcohol dependence among the general population using two instruments: the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) and an International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 based clinical interview. The AUDIT test, developed by the World Health Organization, was adopted to screen a full spectrum of alcohol-related disorders. Participants identified as at high risk of alcohol dependence were referred to a clinical interview for diagnosis of alcohol dependence. The interview was designed using ICD-10 diagnostic criteria. The study consisted of 11746 participants from 79 clusters, age 18–64 years (n=11746, males 49.1%, females 50.8%, mean age 39.6 ± 12.5 years). 45.4% of the participants (n=5336) abstained from alcohol use, 39% were at low risk of alcohol dependence (n=4582), 9.2% were at moderate risk (n=1075), and 6.4% were at high risk (n=753). Among the participants, a total of 522 participants (4.4%) were diagnosed as having alcohol dependence through the clinical interview. Increased risk of alcohol dependence was associated with those who were men, divorced or widowed, living in rural regions, unemployed, and less educated. The study results suggest that the prevalence of alcohol dependence is 4.4% among the general population of Mongolia. Gender, marital status, geographical location, and education significantly influence alcohol dependence.