Prevalence, pattern, and associated factors of alcohol use disorder among male treatment-seeking people with illicit drug use disorder in Tehran, Iran

Background Comorbid alcohol and illicit drug use disorder is relatively prevalent . We aimed to assess the prevalence, pattern, and associated factors of alcohol use disorder among treatment-seeking individuals with drug use disorders in Iran. Methods This was a cross-sectional study, conducted on 387 male patients from residential drug treatment centers in Tehran, Iran. The alcohol module from the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 2.1) was used to assess alcohol use disorder.Logistic regression analyses were used to assess the determinants . Results The main drug of use was opioids, stimulants, and both among 78.0%, 32.3%, and 10.3% of the participants, respectively. The lifetime prevalence of alcohol dependence, harmful use, and hazardous use were 50.6%, 18.3%, and 22.0%, respectively. The past 12-month prevalence was 17.1% for alcohol dependence, 23.0% for harmful use, and 14.7% for hazardous use. Multivariable regression analysis showed that alcohol use by friends (OR = 3.8) and use of stimulants as the main drug (OR = 1.9) were significantly associated with alcohol use disorder. Conclusion The prevalence of alcohol use disorder was relatively high among males who used drugs. It seems comorbid alcohol and illicit drug use disorder is of utter importance and has been neglected in Iran.