Association between acculturation surrogates and alcohol consumption in rural-to-urban migrants: The PERU MIGRANT study

Urbanicity and alcohol use epidemiology in the 21st century

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review aimed to gather recent studies that could identify the specificities in the relationship between urbanization and alcohol use epidemiology in the current century.

RECENT FINDINGS

Although we find lower rates of alcohol use among adolescents in urban environments than in rural ones, this difference tends to diminish until it disappears by the time they reach adulthood. In addition to excessive marketing and increased accessibility, several urban environment characteristics have been related to alcohol use. First, problematic alcohol use is linked to stress and mental health problems like depression and anxiety, which are common in metropolitan areas. Second, alcohol use behaviors are influenced by homelessness, loneliness, and deprivation in megacities, where female and male individuals have presented more similar alcohol use behaviors (i.e. gender convergence). Third, treatment levels for alcohol use disorders are very low.

SUMMARY

There is a new epidemiological wave of alcohol consumption in large urban centers, largely influenced by advertisement and marketing. Social and psychological risk factors and subpopulations of interest were identified for preventive interventions in large urban centers (i.e. advertisement regulation). In addition, increasing the availability of treatment, including specific medications for alcohol use disorder, should be strongly encouraged.

Metabolic syndrome in rural Peruvian adults living at high altitudes using different cookstoves

This study determined the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in open fire stoves and improved cookstoves users (ICS) in the rural Peruvian Andes. Participants answered a socioeconomic questionnaire, one 24-hour food recall and underwent a physical examination. We analysed data from 385 participants, 190 (112 women and 78 men) were ICS users and 195 (123 women and 72 men) were open fire stove users. The prevalence of MetS was 21.3, 26.4% in women and 13.3% in men. We found no statistically significant association between the type of cookstove and MetS. Body mass index and altitude were important determinants of MetS. Research on cardiometabolic diseases and open fire stove use contributes to understanding the effect of household air pollution on health in high altitude populations.