Feighner's symptom profile of alcoholism in a Kenyan general hospital

Eighty-three consecutive first-ever admissions to the general medical wards at the Kenyatta National Hospital ( KNH ), were screened for alcoholism using the Feighner's Research Diagnostic Criteria for Alcoholism ( FRDCA ) in their first week of admission. They were aged between 18-65 years and able to give informed consent and participate in an interview. 48% of the males, 13% of the females and 31% of the overall sample scored for definite alcoholism. Abnormal drinking behaviour and social pathology associated with drinking rather than the medical and psychiatric aspects of alcoholism were more associated with the alcoholism group. These findings are compared and contrasted with similar findings in Western settings.