The brewing of alcohol in Ugandan households is common, yet little is known about its relationship with alcohol consumption in HIV-infected individuals. We performed a cross-sectional analysis to assess the association between household brewing and unhealthy alcohol consumption among 387 HIV-infected adults in a prospective study examining the association between alcohol consumption and HIV-disease progression. Household brewing was defined as participants reporting that they or a household member home-brewed alcohol. Logistic regression was used to assess the association between household brewing and unhealthy alcohol consumption, defined as phosphatidylethanol (PEth) level ≥50 ng/ml or AUDIT-C (modified to measure the prior 3 months) positive. Sixty-six (17.0 %) participants reported household brewing. Household brewers had higher odds of unhealthy alcohol consumption (AOR 2.27, 95 % CI 1.26-4.12). Among HIV-infected individuals, household brewing was associated with unhealthy alcohol consumption. Interventions to reduce alcohol consumption in this population could target household brewers.
Keywords: Africa; Alcohol; HIV; Household brewing; Unhealthy alcohol use.