Abstract
Traditional homemade brew is believed to represent the highest proportion of alcohol use in sub-Saharan Africa. In Eldoret, Kenya, two types of brew are common: chang’aa, spirits, and busaa, maize beer. Local residents refer to the amount of brew consumed by the amount of money spent, suggesting a culturally relevant estimation method. The purposes of this study were to analyze ethanol content of chang’aa and busaa; and to compare two methods of alcohol estimation: use by cost, and use by volume, the latter the current international standard. Laboratory results showed mean ethanol content was 34% (SD = 14%) for chang’aa and 4% (SD = 1%) for busaa. Standard drink unit equivalents for chang’aa and busaa, respectively, were 2 and 1.3 (US) and 3.5 and 2.3 (Great Britain). Using a computational approach, both methods demonstrated comparable results. We conclude that cost estimation of alcohol content is more culturally relevant and does not differ in accuracy from the international standard.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
AOAC International. (2002). Official Methods of Analysis of AOAC International. Official method 920.56. 17th ed. [ii], 1.02. Gaithersburg, M. D, Association of Analytical Communities.
Apostolopoulos, Y., Sonmez, S., & Yu, C. H. (2002). HIV-risk behaviors of American spring break vacationers: a case of situational disinhibition? International Journal of STD and AIDS, 13, 733–743. doi:10.1258/095646202320753673.
Ayisi, J. G., van Eijk, A. M., ter Kuil, O. F., Kolczak, M. S., Otieno, J. A., Misore, A. O., et al. (2000). Risk factors for HIV infection among asymptomatic pregnant women attending an antenatal clinic in western Kenya. International Journal of STD and AIDS, 11, 393–401. doi:10.1258/0956462001916119.
Hall, W., Saunders, J. B., Babor, T. F., Aasland, O. G., Amundsen, A., Hodgson, R., et al. (1993). The structure and correlates of alcohol dependence: WHO collaborative project on the early detection of persons with harmful consumption-III. Addiction (Abingdon, England), 88, 1627–1636. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.1993.tb02037.x.
Hargreves, J. R. (2002). Socioeconomic status and risk of HIV infection in an urban population in Kenya. Tropical Medicine & International Health, 7, 793–802. doi:10.1046/j.1365-3156.2002.00943.x.
Holtzman, J. (2001). The food of elders, the “ration” of women: brewing, gender and domestic processes among the Samburu of northern Kenya. American Anthropologist, 103, 1041–1058. doi:10.1525/aa.2001.103.4.1041.
Jemmot, L. S., & Brown, E. J. (2003). Reducing HIV sexual risk among African women who use drugs: hearing their voices. The Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, 14, 19–26. doi:10.1177/1055329002239187.
McCall, M. (1996). Rural brewing, exclusion and development policy-making. Focus on Gender, 4, 29–38.
Miller, W. R., Heather, N., & Hall, W. (1991). Calculating standard drink units: international comparisons. British Journal of Addiction, 86, 43–47. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.1991.tb02627.x.
Mosha, D., Wangabo, J., & Mhinzi, G. (1996). African traditional brews: how safe are they? Food Chemistry, 57, 205–209. doi:10.1016/0308-8146(95)00192-1.
National Institutes of Health. (2008). ERA commons computer retrieval of information on scientific projects. http://crisp.cit.nih.gov/. Accessed 15 May 2008.
Obot, I. S. (2001). The measurement of drinking patterns and alcohol problems in Nigeria. Journal of Substance Abuse, 12, 169–181. doi:10.1016/S0899-3289(00)00047-X.
Obot, I. S. (2007). Nigeria: alcohol and society today. Addiction (Abingdon, England), 102, 519–522. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2006.01619.x.
Ojiji, O. O., Dagona, Z. K., & Tamen, F. I. (1993). Women, children and alcohol: a study of local brewers in Jos, Nigeria. In I. S. Obot (Ed.), Epidemiology and Control of Substance Abuse in Nigeria (pp. 95–102). Jos, Nigeria: Centre for Research and Information on Substance Abuse.
Othieno, C. J., Kathuku, D. M., & Ndetei, D. M. (2000). Substance abuse in outpatients attending rural and urban health centres in Kenya. East African Medical Journal, 77, 592–595.
Papas, R. K., Ayuku, D.O., Sidle, J. E., Omolo, O. E., Ballidawa, J. B., Songole, R., et al. (2008). A stage 1 cognitive behavioral trial to reduce alcohol use among HIV-infected Kenyans. (Oral) Research society on alcoholism annual meeting, July 2–July 27, 2008.
Project Match Research Group. (1997). Matching alcoholism treatments to client heterogeneity: project MATCH posttreatment drinking outcomes. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 58, 7–29.
Saunders, J. B., Aasland, O. G., Amundsen, A., & Grant, M. (1993a). Alcohol consumption and related problems among primary health care patients: WHO collaborative project on early detection of persons with harmful alcohol consumption-I,15. Addiction (Abingdon, England), 88, 349–362. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.1993.tb00822.
Saunders, J. B., Aasland, O. G., Babor, T. F., DeLaFuente, J. R., & Grant, M. (1993b). Development of the alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT): WHO collaborative project on early detection of persons with harmful alcohol consumption-II. Addiction (Abingdon, England), 88, 791–804. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.1993.tb02093.x.
Scott, D., & Reed, G. (1975). Enzymes in food processing. New York: Academic Press.
Seage, G. R., Holte, S., Gross, M., Koblin, B., Marmor, M., Mayer, K. H., et al. (2002). Case-crossover study of partner and situational factors for unprotected sex. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, 31, 429–432.
Shaffer, D. N., Njeri, R., Justice, A. C., Odero, W. W., & Tierney, W. M. (2004). Alcohol abuse among patients with and without HIV infection attending public clinics in western Kenya. East African Medical Journal, 81, 594–598.
Shayo, N. B., Nnko, S. A. M., Gidamis, A. B., & Dillon, V. M. (1998). Assessment of cyanogenic glucoside (cyanide) residues in Mbege: an opaque traditional Tanzanian beer. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 49, 333–338.
Sobell, L. C., & Sobell, M. B. (1992). Timeline followback: a technique for assessing self-reported alcohol consumption. In R. Z. Litten & J. Allen (Eds.), Measuring alcohol consumption (1st ed., pp. 41–72). New Jersey: Humana.
UNAIDS/WHO (2007). AIDS epidemic update: December 2007 Geneva/UNAIDS/WHO.
Willis, J. (2002). Potent brew: a social history of alcohol in East Africa 1850–1999. London and Nairobi: The British Institute of East Africa. Serial (Book, Monograph).
World Health Organization. (2001). The alcohol use disorders identification test: guidelines for primary care geneva, WHO.
World Health Organization. (2004). Global status report on alcohol 2004 Geneva, WHO.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by NIAAA-funded R21AA016884. We acknowledge Sammy Kimani for his input about Kenyan cultural customs, Lucien Butuba for his assistance with data collection and Naman Nyabanda for his expertise with Kenyan farming and agriculture.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Papas, R.K., Sidle, J.E., Wamalwa, E.S. et al. Estimating Alcohol Content of Traditional Brew in Western Kenya Using Culturally Relevant Methods: The Case for Cost Over Volume. AIDS Behav 14, 836–844 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-008-9492-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-008-9492-z