Consumption 'exceptionally high' among older women
Play
Older women who drink alcohol daily in Myanmar consume an "exceptionally high" amount compared with their younger counterparts, according to the recently released findings of the first nationwide study into the risk factors for non-communicable disease.
“Among the female daily drinkers, drinking was exceptionally high among the age group of 55-64 years,” the Noncommunicable Disease Risk Factor Survey found.
It also found that 17 per cent of the men and 4.6 per cent of the women drinkers consumed alcohol on a daily basis.
The survey covered 50 townships across the country in 2009. In total, 7,429 people between 15 and 64 years of age were surveyed. About 12.9 per cent of them were classified as “current drinkers”: 31.2 per cent of the men and 1.5 per cent of the women.
The survey was designed to produce internationally comparable data on risk factors for non-communicable diseases, raise awareness about the risk factors, and promote specific measures and interventions to reduce them, health officials said.
The survey was conducted by the Ministry of Health with technical assistance and financial support from the World Health Organisation.
A previous study by the WHO in 2003 and 2004 was restricted to Yangon.
