Alcohol and tobacco use among methadone maintenance patients in Vietnamese rural mountainside areas

Abstract

IntroductionThe expansion of methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) program requires more data about the factors affecting the effectiveness of treatment, especially behavioral data such as smoking and alcohol use among patients. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of tobacco and alcohol consumption and identify related factors among MMT patients in the Vietnamese rural mountainside.MethodsWe interviewed 241 MMT patients in two clinics in Tuyen Quang, a mountainous province in Vietnam. Patients were asked to report the smoking status (current smoker or not), nicotine dependence (by Fagerström test for nicotine dependence - FTND) and alcohol use (by using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test – AUDIT-C). EuroQol-5 dimensions-5 levels (EQ-5D-5L) and EQ-Visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS) were employed to measure health-related quality of life. Multivariate logistic and Tobit regressions were used to identify the associated factors.ResultsThe majority of respondents were current smokers (75.7%) and a low proportion were hazardous drinkers (18.3%). People receiving treatment in a rural clinic (OR = 0.45; 95%CI = 0.22–0.92) and had problems in usual activities (OR = 0.20; 95%CI = 0.06–0.70) were less likely to be smokers. Q-VAS score (Coef. = 0.03; 95%CI = 0.02–0.05) and having problems in mobility (Coef. = 0.72; 95%CI = 0.03–1.42) was found to be associated with the increase of nicotine dependence. In terms of alcohol drinking, people with other jobs were more likely to drink hazardously compared to unemployed patients (OR = 2.86; 95%CI = 1.20–6.82). Similarly, patients having higher duration of MMT had higher likelihood of being hazardous drinkers (OR = 1.07; 95%CI = 1.01–1.13).ConclusionsThis study highlights the low rate of alcohol abusers but a considerably high proportion of current smokers among MMT patients in the rural mountainside area. Alcohol and tobacco counseling programs combined with social and family support also play an essential role in alcohol and tobacco control. In addition, implementing mass community-based behavioral change campaigns to reduce drug addiction-related stigmatization should also be prioritized.

Community Knowledge, Perceived Beliefs and Associated Factors of Mental Distress: A Case Study from Northern Ethiopia

“…Similarly, a study conducted in Kombolcha town, Ethiopia, found that current alcohol drinkers had an increased chance of developing common mental distress or MD than non-alcohol drinkers [ 50 ]. Alcohol counselling program combined with social and family support plays an essential role in alcohol control and prevention of psychiatric comorbidity [ 52 ]. Regular khat use was also found to be a risk factor for MD in the current study (both studies conducted in Jimma and Kombolcha supported this finding) [ 42 , 50 ].…”

Characterizing Unsafe Sexual Behavior among Factory Workers in the Context of Rapid Industrialization in Northern Vietnam

“…We divided the smoking status of participants into 3 types: Current smokers, former smokers, and never-smokers [16]. A current smoker was an adult who had smoked at least 100 cigarettes in his or her lifetime and had smoked in the last 30 days.…”

Changes in quality of life and its associated factors among illicit drug users in Vietnamese mountainous provinces: a 12-month follow-up study

“…Since the introduction of the first pilot MMT clinic in 2008, the Vietnamese government has scaled up the delivery of these programs in nationwide as a core component of the HIV reduction strategy in Vietnam [9]. These programs have been recognized that reduced psychological distress [10], stigma [11,12], alcohol and tobacco use [13], economic vulnerability [14], risky sexual behaviors [15], and unemployment [16].…”

“…Higher QoL is closely associated with higher level of MMT adherence and higher likelihood of community reintegration via improving workability [19][20][21]. However, most of the studies were conducted in urban and rural settings, while a lack of evidence was documented in mountainous areas, where the accessibility of health care services among drug users is constrained [10,11,13,15,22,23]. Therefore, this study aimed to assess QOL, mental disorders and their associated factors amongst people using drugs over the course of 12-month MMT in Vietnamese mountainous provinces.…”