Alcohol consumption and associated risk factors in Burkina Faso: results of a population-based cross-sectional survey.

Abstract Background: Lifestyle modifiable risk factors are a leading preventable cause of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Amongst them, alcohol and tobacco consumption are the most important. Studies characterizing the prevalence of alcohol consumption in low-income countries are lacking. This study describes the prevalence of alcohol use in Burkina Faso and its associated factors separately for urban and rural residents.Methods: Data from the 2013 Burkina Faso World Health Organization (WHO) Stepwise approach to Surveillance (STEPS) were analyzed. The prevalence of alcohol consumption over the last 30 days were recorded and recoded into categories according to WHO recommendations: low alcohol consumption (<40g alcohol/day for men, <20g for women), mid alcohol consumption (between 40 and 59.9g/day for men and between 20 and 39.9g for women) and a heavy consumption (>60g/day for men and 40g for women). Logistic regression analyses identified factors associated with alcohol consumption use. Results: In the whole population 3,559 (75.8% [72.5 – 78.7]) were not consuming any alcohol, 614 (12.9% [10.9 – 15.3]) had a low alcohol consumption, 399 (8.5% [7.1 – 10.1]) a mid alcohol consumption and 120 (2.7% [2.0 – 3.7]) a high consumption. Age was associated with alcohol intake with a gradient effect, older people having a higher risk (AOR = 2.31 [1.68 – 3.17] for the 55 – 64 years old compared to 25 – 34 group). Tobacco consumption was also significantly associated with alcohol intake with a gradient effect, those with higher tobacco consumption being at higher risk of abusive alcohol intake. When analyzing the risk of having abusive consumption in those consuming alcohol, we found a highly significant gender effect, with males having an increased risk (AOR = 2.53 [1.38 – 4.68]).Conclusion: Our data showed an important burden of alcohol consumption in Burkina Faso with a strong relationship with age, gender and tobacco consumption and disparities across the different regions of Burkina Faso. To effectively reduce alcohol consumption in Burkina Faso, a comprehensive control program should consider these associated factors.