Consumption of alcohol-free mock beverages, attitude toward alcohol, and alcohol consumption among Muslim Youths in the Deep South of Thailand: A mixed-methods study
Abstract
Introduction: Alcohol-free mock beverages are consumed by Muslims in the deep south region of Thailand, but the extent to which such consumption was associated with attitude toward alcohol and subsequent alcohol consumption is unknown. The objectives of our study were: (1) to describe the extent to which the consumption of alcohol-free mock beverages is associated with alcohol consumption among Muslim youths in the deep south of Thailand; and (2) to describe the extent to which attitude towards alcohol mediates the stated association.
Methods: We conducted a mixed-methods cross-sectional study. We used convenience sampling to source self-identified Muslims aged 18 to 40 years from Pattani Province, Thailand. We invited them to participate in a face-to-face survey interview and/or a qualitative study, with either a focus group discussion or in-depth interviews. Quantitative survey data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. We then performed mediation analysis using the mediation package in R. Qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis.
Results: A total of 407 persons participated in our study. Approximately 33% of the participants reported lifetime consumption of alcohol-free mock beverages and 6% reported a history of alcohol consumption. Current mock beverage consumers were significantly more likely to be current drinkers of alcohol than those who never consumed mock beverages (7.0% vs. 0.4%). Mediation analysis, however, showed that the association was not significantly mediated by attitude toward alcohol.
Discussion and conclusion: We found a strong association between alcohol-free mock beverage consumption and alcohol consumption. The findings have implications for stakeholders in public health, alcohol control, and religious leadership. However, limitations regarding the selection of participants and social desirability bias should be considered as caveats in the interpretation of the study findings.
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