Earticle

Objectives: The purpose of the study is to examine empirically predictive variables of homeless participants in a therapeutic community (TC) alcohol dependence program in order to analyze the program’s effectiveness. Methods: This study analyzed administrative data from 306 homeless alcohol dependent persons who joined a therapeutic community from September 1998 to June 2012. The data included sociodemographic characteristics, experience of homelessness, psychological characteristics such as abstinence self- efficacy, and the stages of change and levels of lifestyle measured by staff (SAS). Results: First, the rate of completion of the TC program was 29.4%. Second, the results of t-tests did not reveal significant differences in sociodemographic characteristics, abstinence self-efficacy and the stages of change between the drop-out and the completion groups. However, significant differences were found in the experience of homelessness, total SAS scores, and the four factors of SAS. Third, the logistic regression analysis revealed that the following factors were significant: the experience of reentry, total SAS scores of SAS, and the factor of roles as a community among four factors of SAS. Conclusions: The research showed that early adaptation as well as active mutual interaction and involvement among colleagues in a TC program are key predictive factors of the recovery of alcohol dependent homeless persons. The study indicates a number of further areas for research on the effectiveness of TC programs.

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to conduct a content analysis of soju advertising and to compare the findings with beer advertising—beer and soju being the two most widely consumed alcoholic beverages in Korea. Methods: A content analysis was performed for a total of 58 soju advertisements and 81 beer advertisements. All of the Korean beer and soju advertisements that aired between 2008 and 2011 were included. Results: Findings revealed that subjective quality, objective information, camaraderie, and sexual connotations were most frequently portrayed in soju advertising. In regards to expressions, visual effects (i.e., drinking scenes, finishing the glass) as well as sound effects were included, which are assumed to target peopleequently portrayed Conclusion: This study implies that more detailed regulations are urgently required in alcohol related marketing and advertising in Korea. The study is significant in that it provides information for alcohol advertising control policies.

Objectives: Culture is believed to influence alcohol drinking however, there were few research on it. This study attempts to find the effects of culture on alcohol drinking. Methods: This study attempted to determine the effects of culture on alcohol consumption, and adopted Hofstede’s cultural indices as measures of culture for 53 countries. Moreover, data were collected on per capita alcohol consumption and per capita of the 53 countries from the WHO and World Bank websites. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated and linear multiple regression analyses were performed to determine the effects of cultural characteristics on per capita alcohol consumption by country. Per capita GNI of the countries were included in the regression model as a control variable. Five regression models were fitted. Results: The results of the regression analysis showed that the uncertainty avoidance index (UAI) and the individualism index (IDV) had a significant influence on per capita alcohol consumption. Conclusion: These findings suggest that societies with higher uncertainty avoidance and individualism are likely to drink more than societies with lower uncertainty avoidance and individualism, when per capita GNI are the same. Thus, alcohol control policies and programs need to consider cultural characteristics, such as uncertainty avoidance and individualism.

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the effects of alcohol factors (age of drinking onset, problem drinking), family factors (family history of alcoholism, childhood abusive experiences), and mental health factors (depression, stress) on the spouses of alcoholics. Methods: Data from a community alcohol counseling center were used for the analysis. Subjects of this study were 225. The analysis of the collected data included frequencies, t-test, stepwise regression. Results: First, the low-income group exhibited more spouse abuse. Second, childhood abusive experiences, depression, and family history of alcoholism were significantly related to the abuse of spouses of alcoholics.. Conclusion: Family and mental health factors are predictive risk factors for spouses of alcoholics. Family-focused interventions can reduce the influence of these risk factors. These findings support the importance of alcoholic couple intervention programs.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to provide the theoretical basis of interventions for alcoholics and their families by analyzing the relevance of family function, family burden, family stress, and family attitude. Methods: 250 guardians of hospitalized alcoholics in 23 mental hospitals in the Daegu, Gyeoung-buk area were selected as participants. Data were collected through a structured survey from April 8 to June 28, 2013. 240 surveys were returned and examined: 16 of them were excluded due to insufficient responses; 224 of them were used in the statistical analysis. Results: The results were as follows. First, family function had a direct effect on the family burden, and direct and indirect effects on family stress and family attitude. Second, the family burden had a direct effect on family stress, and an indirect effect on family attitude. Finally, family stress had a direct effect on family attitude. Conclusions: Family burden showed a meditated effect between family function and family stress, and family stress showed a meditated effect between family burden and family attitude, as well as between family function and family attitude.

Objectives: South Korea has a growing number of problems associated with drinking problems due to a permissive social atmosphere on drinking. This study was conducted in order to review the current situation of regional drinking characteristics and to examine differences of drinking behavior by sex and region among Korean university and college students. Methods: In 2011, an interview survey was conducted with 700 Korean students of universities and colleges located in seven metropolitan cities and the largest province (Gyeonggi-do). The AUDIT-K was used for classification of drinking problem. Multiple logistic regression analysis of survey data identified differences of regional drinking behavior. Results: According to the results, 73% of students were monthly drinkers, and 16.6% were high risk group of drinking behavior; 31.4% were risk group and 26.7% had alcohol use disorder by AUDIT-K. The rate of male students with a drinking problem was higher than that of females. In case of difference by region, students of universities and colleges located in coastal areas were more likely to have a drinking problem than students located in interior areas. In multiple regression models, difference by sex and region remained significant. Conclusion: Future efforts should focus on association between regional district characteristics and drinking problem in adults. To achieve this, we will need to provide help and health education for prevention in order to decrease drinking problems of university and college students.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effect of alcohol use on suicidal ideation in Koreans ≥ 12 years old, according to their age group. Methods: The study participants were a representative sample from a community of 21,492 individuals ≥12 years taken from the 5th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2010 to 2012). The analysis of the collected data included frequencies, X2 tests, t-tests, and multivariate logistic regression analysis. This study analyzed the effect of alcohol use after controlling for confounding factors on suicidal ideation (sociodemographic factors, health-related factors, and mental health-related factors). Results: An average frequency of alcohol consumption in middle-aged adults and an average quantity of alcohol consumption in senescence had significant effects on suicidal ideation. Increased AUDIT score increased the risk of suicidal ideation in young and middle aged adults. In young adults, alcohol dependence and being in a high-risk drinking group led to a higher risk of suicidal ideation than in the low-risk drinking group. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggested that the effect of alcohol use on suicidal ideation was different according to age group. To prevent suicides, intervention strategies related to alcohol use should be developed for each age group.

Objectives: Recent surveys indicate that smoking, alcohol consumption, and sexual intercourse among female college students have been increasing steadily in South Korea. This study seeks to examine relationships with socio-demographic variables, smoking, drinking behavior, gender role stereotype and sexual intercourse. Methods: The population of this study was female college students in Jeju island, Korea. The college students related on health majors were selected. Four thousand sixty responses were analyzed (nineteen were excluded). Female college students’ self-reports on drinking behavior, gender role stereotype and sexual behavior were used. Results: The rate of smoking and current alcohol drinkers were 9.3% and 89.3%, respectively. The prevalence of sexual intercourse 13.7%. The logistic regression analyses revealed that smoking, alcohol consumption, and gender role stereotype were significant predictors of sexual intercourse experience. Conclusion: Intervention and prevention efforts for unwanted sexual intercourse should integrate risk factors such as smoking and alcohol problems. Health education should be considered to for prevention in order to decrease drinking problems and unplanned sexual intercourse of college students.