Association of religion and cultural tradition with alcohol use among some tribal communities of Arunachal Pradesh, India

Arunachal Pradesh, a land of high mountains and dense forest, is home to many tribal communities, which comprise two thirds of the state's population. Alcohol is one of the common addictive substances used traditionally among them despite much awareness about its harmful effect on health. The present study is focused on finding the association of religion, ethnicity, and demographic characteristics with alcohol use among some tribal communities in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh. A cross-sectional household survey was conducted on substance use in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh, India. A sample of 3,421 tribal respondents (1,795 males and 1,626 females) aged 15 years and older was extracted and analyzed. Sociodemographic differences in the prevalence of alcohol use among the tribes were analyzed and compared using the chi-square and t test. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied to identify the predictor variables of alcohol use. Data analysis indicates high prevalence of alcohol use (39.1%) among the tribes; and it was higher among males (49.3%) than among females (27.9%). Alcohol use was higher among Indigenous (65%) and Hindu (55.1%) religions compared with Buddhist (24.7%) and Christian (10%). It was also recorded high among Tangsa (42.0%) and Tutsa (76%) tribes compared with Singpho (13.6%) and Khamti (11.4%). High association of alcohol use among the tribal community with age, occupation, ethnicity, and religion was also recorded. Association of alcohol use with demographic characteristics, religion, and ethnic group shows the traditional and cultural belief in alcohol use persists among the tribes.