Contribution of Alcohol and Nicotine Dependence to the Prevalence of Depressed Mood in Different Ethnic Groups in The Netherlands: The HELIUS Study.

Ethnic minorities report different levels of drinking and smoking and higher rates of depression compared to native populations. In this study we aimed to investigate in six ethnic groups whether tobacco and alcohol use were associated with depressive symptoms, which are more prevalent in ethnic minorities. Cross-sectional data from the multi-ethnic Healthy Life in an Urban Setting (HELIUS) study sample ( = 22,471) was used, comprising 4,580 native Dutch participants which were compared with participants from five ethnic minority groups (3,259 South Asian Surinamese, 4,292 African Surinamese, 2,262 Ghanaian, 3,891 Turkish, and 4,187 Moroccan).

A Comparison of Excessive Drinking, Binge Drinking and Alcohol Dependence in Ethnic Minority Groups in the Netherlands: The HELIUS Study.

Background: The Dutch multi-ethnic Healthy Life in an Urban Setting study recently showed that alcohol consumption was lower in ethnic minority groups than those of Dutch origin, but that binge drinking in drinkers of Turkish and Moroccan origin was relatively high. The aim of the current study is to examine factors that may contribute to the differences in drinking patterns and how they relate to the relationship between drinking patterns and alcohol dependence (AD) across ethnic groups.

Methods: The rate of last year alcohol use, alcohol use patterns and AD was assessed in 4,635 Dutch, 4,317 Moroccan, 4,036 Turkish, 2,459 Ghanaian, 4,426 African Surinamese and 3,357 South-Asian Surinamese participants (both men and women) born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.