{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Socioeconomic disparities in alcohol-related depression: a national cohort study of low-income medical aid beneficiaries and national health insurance beneficiaries in Korea.
{Author}: Lee SK;Kwon YJ;
{Journal}: BMC Public Health
{Volume}: 24
{Issue}: 1
{Year}: 2024 Aug 13
{Factor}: 4.135
{DOI}: 10.1186/s12889-024-19665-6
{Abstract}: <B>OBJECTIVE: </B>To examine the association between patterns of alcohol consumption in the past and the risk of depression among medical aid beneficiaries and National Health Insurance beneficiaries in Korea.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>We used data from the National Health Information Database (NHID) of 1,292,618 participants who underwent health checkups in 2015-16 and 2017-18. We categorized alcohol consumption into four groups: continuous high, increased, decreased, and non-consumers. We followed the participants from 2019 to 2021 and identified new episodes of depression. We calculated adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for depression by alcohol consumption groups and socioeconomic status.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>Medical aid beneficiaries had higher risks of depression than National Health Insurance beneficiaries across all alcohol consumption groups. The highest risk was observed among continuous high consumers (aOR, 2.31; 95% CI, 1.36-3.93), followed by increased (aOR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.17-1.94), decreased (aOR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.18-1.84), and non-consumers (aOR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.22-1.54).<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>Socioeconomic status and patterns of alcohol consumption in the past are associated with the risk of depression. Public health interventions should consider both factors to reduce alcohol-related depression and health inequalities.