Nutritional, Health and Social Status of Young People Aged 18-35 Consuming Strong Alcoholic Beverages in the City of Ngozi

Abstract

Alcohol is a psychoactive substance that can lead to addiction; it is a toxic substance with harmful effects on health, society, and nutritional status. A beverage is considered highly alcoholic if it contains more than 20% alcohol by volume. This study aims to assess the nutritional, health, and social status of young people aged 18-35 who consume highly alcoholic beverages in the city of Ngozi. This is a prospective, analytical study. Data collection took place over a two-month period, from June 1st to July 31st, 2025. Scales and measuring tapes were used to measure height and weight in order to calculate BMI. The statistical tests used were: ANOVA, linear regression, chi-square test, and the search for a significant p-value (< 0.05). These tests were accompanied by measures of association such as relative risk and odds ratio. Our research proved that 80.6% of respondents consume alcoholic beverages, and among them, 39.7% consume hard liquor. The most commonly consumed types of hard liquor are: Kick (24.15%), Vodka (20.45%), Gin (13.64%), and Kanyanga (11.65%). In addition, the age of initiation of alcohol consumption was under 14 years for 329 respondents (70.9%). The most common reasons for consuming strong alcoholic beverages were: to relax and feel happy (19%), to quench thirst (18.7%), and because their friends drink a lot (10.6%). The results show that 5.6% have developed psychiatric disorders. The pathologies known to the respondents were: hypertension (2.8%), diabetes (6.9%), alcoholic hepatitis (0.7%), and cirrhosis (1.2%). The visible symptoms of alcohol abuse were headaches (31.6%), vomiting (17.7%), memory problems (16.5%), diarrhoea (11.4%), and gait disturbances (13.9%). 12.5% ​​of respondents have a BMI below 18.5 (malnutrition). For those who consume alcohol, there are significant differences depending on whether they consume strong or non-alcoholic beverages. The incidence of chronic diseases among respondents who consume hard liquor is 43/184 (23.4%); it is 17/280 (6.1%) and 4/112 (3.6%) among respondents who do not consume any type of alcohol. In brief, the relationship between hard liquor consumption and nutritional status is complex and multidimensional. It is essential to address these issues in an integrated manner to develop effective solutions to promote the health of young people.