Problem Drinking Among Unemployed Job Seekers In Ibadan, Nigeria

Background and Methods: A cross sectional study aimed at describing pattern of problem drinking among 420 unemployed job seekers in Ibadan (300 males and 120 females) was carried out using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Results: Results indicated that about 52% of respondents (60% of males and 34% of females) drink alcohol. The mean AUDIT score for the job seekers was 13.2±8.9 for males and 3.4±5.3 for females. Approximately 43(24%) of males and 18(10.5%) of females who use alcohol had the AUDIT score above the threshold level of 8.0, which corresponded with high mean values of alcohol consumption per week (222.8±162.7 g of pure ethanol for males and 100.3±98.3 g for females). In addition, about 7.4 % of male job seekers and 2.3 % of females reported episodes of heavy drinking. Conclusion: The findings concluded that problem drinking is prevalent among unemployed job seekers and it is higher than existing national norms. It stressed the need for structural intervention aimed at engaging job seekers in gainful employment and the need to strengthen existing mental health and drug education in Nigeria.