Prevalence and risk factors associated with alcohol consumption among indigenous people in Sabah Borneo Island.

Objectives: In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of alcohol use among a cohort of population in Sabah.

Design: This is a prospective, cohort study involving rural community residents.

Setting: Rural community resident at Bingkor, Keningau, Sabah.

Participants: 363 individuals aged 13 years old and above.

Intervention: Community-based participatory research to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with alcohol use.

Main Outcome Measures: Measurement of alcohol use using Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and assessment of psychiatric morbidity using Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) questionnaires.

Results: Most alcohol drinkers aged between 36-45 years old, followed by 26-35 years old and 46-55 years old. Interestingly, there are almost similar female to male ratio. Most were Kadazan-Dusun ethnic, non-Muslims, and married. Although only less than a third of the participants received tertiary education, the majority were working. Based on the findings, being a male, non-Muslim and having an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) (current) posed a significantly higher risk of alcohol consumption.

Conclusion: A worryingly high prevalence of hazardous alcohol consumption among the locals is reported. There is a need for population-wide intervention towards preventive measures based on the identified risk factors for hazardous alcohol use.