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Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of drinking environment in the community and the relationship of alcohol outlets and alcohol related traffic crimes in the community, adapting a socio-environmental approach. Methods: A total of 229 regional units in Korea were included in the analysis. Indicators of drinking environment included on-premise alcohol outlets, monthly drinking rate, and risky drinking rate. Geographically weighted regression was conducted to analyze the influence of alcohol outlets, drinking rate, and risky drinking on alcohol related traffic crimes in the region. Results: Results showed that on-premise alcohol outlets were identified as a predicting factor for alcohol-related traffic crimes in the region. The number of on-premise alcohol outlets (general restaurants, bars) were associated with the increase in alcohol-related traffic crimes. The influence of general restaurants and bars was stronger in Jeollanam-do and Gyeongsangnam-do regions. Conclusion: Study findings showed that social environment that encourages drinking and alcohol availability leads to alcohol problems in the local community. Policy and practice implications based on these results are suggested.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the mediating effect of depression between death anxiety, health status, family cohesiveness and problem drinking among the poor elderly, Methods: Data were collected from 528 elderly in the National Basic Livelihood Security System in Jeollabuk do. Collected data were analyzed by SEM(Structural Equation Modeling) with AMOS 22.0. Results: First, more higher death anxiety and more lower health status, family cohesiveness significantly related to the depression and problem drinking. Second, depression partially mediated the relationship between death anxiety, family cohesiveness and problem drinking. Third, depression fully mediated the relationship between health status and problem drinking. Conclusion: Depression in the poor elderly was a significant variable for death anxiety, health status and family Cohesiveness. The implication and limitation of these findings are discussed, and directions for future studies are proposed.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to analyze the factors in performing case management of Community Addiction Management Center. Methods: To do this objectives, a questionnaire survey has been conducted targeting the sample 154 case-managers in the 39 centers. The factors are comprised of case-manager’s professional ability and center’s organizational environment. The data were analyzed as descriptive statistics and multiple regression using SPSS/WIN 18.0. Results: Firstly, the average caseload was 38.78 clients per case-manager and standard deviation was 20.41. There were wide variations in the caseloads. And the case management was centered in the early stage of the case management. Secondly, the factors influencing overall case management performance were sex, having mental health license, years of working in addiction field, and institutions support for case management. The factors influencing on the early stage of case management were having mental health license and years of working in addiction field. The factors influencing on the middle stage of case management were sex, having mental health license, and institutions support. The factors influencing on the final stage of case management were years of working in addiction field and institutions support. Thirdly, difficulties in performing case management were budget deficits and manpower shortage. Conclusion: Based on the findings of this research, practical and political implications for activation of case management in Community Addiction Management Center were discussed.

Objective: This study aimed to identify the factors related to problem drinking among female hospital worker by identifying the relationship between problem drinking behavior, characteristics of workplace drinking environment, and individual’s intention. The study used a correlation analysis to provide preliminary data for the improvement of problem drinking behavior. Method: Data were collected by distributing 300 copies of a structured questionnaire to female hospital worker in Busan; and 294 questionnaires (98.0%) were used for analysis after excluding 6 incomplete ones. The SPSS (version 22.0) was used for analyzing the data. Frequency analysis was conducted to identify the socio-demographic characteristics of the subjects, characteristics of the individual’s intention, characteristics of the workplace drinking environment, and drinking behavior. Cross-analysis was conducted to identify the differences between each variable depending on the characteristics of the subjects. Finally, odds ratio of the factors influencing drinking behavior was verified using logistic regression analysis. Results: The findings of this study were as follows: First, the variation in the factors related to drinking behavior according to the individual’s characteristics showed statistically significant differences for occupation and age; administrative positions accounted for the highest percentage of problem drinking, and the distribution of problem drinkers was more among younger subjects. Second, analyzing the outcome of the main factors that influence drinking behavior showed that they have statistically significant influences on the degree of individual attitude towards drinking and the degree of individual control towards drinking. Additionally, drinking companions, monthly average of get-togethers, and average number of rounds in get-togethers also had influences. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, female hospital worker generally showed significant influences on factors of individual intention, which is grounded on the theory of planned behavior, and workplace drinking environment, which includes drinking culture. Therefore, preventative measures through changes in individual awareness, norms of workplace drinking environment, and uses of employee drinking assistance programs seem to be necessary.

Objectives: This study was to investigate the factors that influence drinking behavior of national basic livelihood act recipients. Methods: This study used raw data from the Korea Community Health Survey (KCHS) which was performed in 2012. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21.0 for descriptive statistics, t test, Chi-square test, and multiple logistic regression Results: The rate of problem drinking among national basic livelihood act recipients was 49.6%. The significant factors of problem drinking were gender, marital status, education, depression, age of first drinking, current smoking, and BMI: gender had OR 2.89, marital status had OR 1.55, education had OR 1.26, depression had OR 1.64, age of first drinking had OR 0.95, current smoking had OR 2.40, BMI had OR 1.04. Conclusions: In conclusion, we need to conduct alcohol intervention programs for problem drinking behavior of national basic livelihood act recipients considering related factors.

Objectives: Income inequality in Korea has been increasing since the economic crisis in 1997 and was reported to be the highest in Asia in 2016. Based on the health inequity perspective, inequality leads to health problems among its members, and the path is usually explained by a psychosocial factor playing the mediating role. This study examined the influence of economic deprivation on problem drinking, with a specific focus on understanding the path between economic deprivation and problem drinking. Methods: The study utilized the 8th Wave of Korean Welfare Panel (2013), using a sample of 13,553 adults. Main variables included the experience of economic deprivation, perceived income inequality, depressive mood, and problem drinking. Results: Results from path analysis showed that there was a significant relationship between experiences of economic deprivation and problem drinking, and the relationship was mediated by depressive mood. Another path indicated that the economic deprivation influenced perceived income inequality, which led to increased problem drinking via higher depressive mood. The path between perceived income inequality and problem drinking was non-significant, confirming the notion that perceived inequality influences one’s health via psychosocial factors. Conclusion: The study results supported previous studies examining the effect of deprivation on one’s health. Implications of the study findings include the need to examine problem drinking from a broader perspective by understanding the influence of socioeconomic factors.

Objectives: This study was conducted in order to explore the predictive model of the experience of harmful shops and drinking in high school students. Method: The survey was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire method online via the homepage of the education ministry’s student health information center. Participants were 956 high school students from 47 schools in Korea. The collected data were processed using the Stata and Amos program. Results: About 57% and 61% said they had been to game places and entertainment places, respectively. In the case of drinking behavior, boys rather than girls, students who were not stratified with school life, living with a single parent, if their school and home were located downtown or near an entertainment place, who have experiences with game facilities were more likely to drink frequently. Conclusion: These results suggest that an educational approach should be developed by tailored conditions to prevent the access to harmful shops and drinking behavior.