Quality of Life and Alcohol Use among Scheduled Tribes in Wayanad District of Kerala

Abstract

Alcohol use is an unhealthy drinking behaviour which may range from heavy episodic drinking to alcohol addiction and in exorbitant cases the outcome will be health issues. Quality of life is an extent to which an individual is contented with their physical state, emotional well-being, social relationship and habitat. The major focus was to measure quality of life and alcohol use among scheduled tribe population in Wayanad district of Kerala. For the same purposive sampling technique was used. The samples include 110 (55 males and 55 females) scheduled tribes of Wayanad district of Kerala. Malayalam version of WHO AUDIT and WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire were used. The findings suggest negative correlation between alcohol use and quality of life. There exists a significant difference in alcohol consumption based on sex of the participants. There also exists variation in quality of life on the basis of sex, education and occupation of the participants. Quality of life decreases with increase in alcohol use.