Attitudes towards alcohol consumption and related behaviours among inhabitants of Kępno district in Poland

Introduction: Excessive drinking habits increase health-related, social and financial costs. This study aims to assess the alcohol-related behaviour and frequency of alcohol consumption in the inhabitants of the Kępno district in Poland. Material and methods: Study subjects included 299 inhabitants of the Kępno district in Poland consisting of 177 women (59.2%) and 122 men (40.2%) with the age range of 18-73 years and 19-69 years, respectively. The study was carried out anonymously in 2019 using a questionnaire employed in the direct interview method. Results: A total of 78.6% of participants were found to be currently drinking alcohol, 10.7% were not drinking alcohol at present and 12.7% had never drunk alcohol. The majority of respondents initiated drinking alcohol between 13 and 18 years of age. People from rural areas started drinking alcohol significantly earlier; more than half first consumed alcohol before the age of 15. About half of the subjects drank no more than 4 units of alcohol during a typical day of alcohol consumption. A total of 41.3% of people aged 43-70 years consumed 7-9 units of alcohol during a typical day compared to only 23.9% of the youngest respondents. A total of 60% of participants consumed alcohol several times a year regardless of sex, age and place of residence. Rates of alcohol being consumed a few times per month were slightly higher in men than women (18.3% vs. 15.4%, respectively). Conclusions: Healthy lifestyle should be promoted, highlighting the harm caused by alcohol drinking at primary and secondary schools because of the concern over the early age of alcohol initiation in the Kępno district, in particular with attempts to target adolescents living in rural areas. Taking into account the trends in the study group, special attention should be paid to women and the population of the oldest people.