[Drinking in male HBV carriers in the outpatient department]

To understand the relation among drinking, characteristics and emotion in outpatient male carriers with hepatitis B virus (HBV), and to provide reference for alcohol intervention.

We used alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT), self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), and Beck depression inventory (BDI) to investigate 980 male HBV carriers in the outpatient department.

The questionnaires were responded by 544 people with drinking experience for nearly a year (drinking rate 58.18%). The prevalence of moderate drinking was 37.8% (354 patients), hazardous and harmful drinking 17.97% (168 patients) and alcohol dependence 2.35% (22 patients). In groups with different ages, education levels, occupations, income and symptoms, the constituent ratio of the hazardous harmful drinking and alcohol dependence (AUDIT 7-26 scores) was different (P<0.05). The total score in SAS in the alcohol dependence group was much higher than that in the normal group (35.95±11.55 vs 29.78±0.46, P =0.020); the total score in SAS and in BDI was significantly higher in the alcohol dependence group than that in the moderate drinking group and the hazardous harmful drinking group (35.95±11.55 and 10.45±8.95 vs 29.65±7.97 and 6.35±5.65 vs 29.68±7.06 and 6.44±5.27, respectively).

Male HBV carriers of 30-49 years old, with education level lower than elementary school or higher than bachelor degree, cadres/professionals with high income and major symptoms show higher harmful/alcohol dependence (AUDIT 7-26 points). Anxiety and depression in the alcohol-dependent male hepatitis B virus carriers are obviously higher than in the moderate drinking group and the hazardous harmful drinking group.