ALCOHOL-ABUSE AND DEPENDENCE IN AN URBAN PRIMARY CARE CLINIC IN NIGERIA

A two-stage epidemiological survey was conducted in an urban walk-in clinic in Nigeria to detect, among other disorders, the prevalence of alcohol abuse and dependence using DSM-IIIR criteria. At the first stage, respondents were administered the 12-item General Health Questionnaire and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). A proportion of the respondents were selected for detailed interview at the second stage using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). An estimated 1.7% of this sample met the criteria for alcohol abuse or dependence. All the identified cases were males, thus giving an estimated prevalence of 5.2% in males. In this setting, the AUDIT performed poorly as a screening instrument. It had a sensitivity of 32% but a specificity of 93%. Apart from reasons relating to the low base rates of the disorders under investigation, cultural factors influencing the ways alcohol use are perceived may explain this poor performance.