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Patterns of alcohol consumption in the Kimberley aboriginal population
E M Hunter1, W D Hall, R M Spargo
1National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Kensington.
Objective:
To estimate patterns of alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems among adult Aborigines in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
Design:
A community survey of adult Aborigines.
Participants:
A stratified random sample of 516 Aboriginal men and women over the age of 15 years in the Kimberley.
Main Outcome Measures:
Participants' reports of their frequency and quantity of alcohol consumption, and their lifetime experience of alcohol-related problems; and the laboratory measure gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase.
Results:
Aborigines in the Kimberley were more likely to be non-drinkers than non-Aborigines in the Australian population, but the majority of drinkers consumed hazardous amounts of alcohol: 85% (95% Cl, 82% to 88%) of drinkers in the population were estimated to be drinking above the level defined by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) as harmful.
Conclusion:
Alcohol abuse among Aborigines in the Kimberley is a major public health problem which requires urgent action.