Factors Associated with Smoking and Alcohol Consumption among Street Vendors in the Metropolitan Area of Bucaramanga, Colombia

AIM: The objective of the study was to characterize, learn and establish related factors about the behavior of alcohol and tobacco consumption in a sample of street vendors in the Metropolitan Area of Bucaramanga, Colombia.

METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 425 street vendors. With regard to sampling, a non-probability sampling was conducted on the streets of every city in the Metropolitan Area. Each worker was given a questionnaire that included socio-demographic and occupational variables, in addition it was applied the Fagerstrom test was applied along with the Alcohol Use Disorders Inventory Test (AUDIT).

RESULTS: Twenty one percent of the workers reported being consumers of cigarettes, 57% had consumed alcohol and 17% had both habits; consuming liquor and cigarettes. As for consumption of harmful liquor, men had higher risk (OR 2.97 p =.001), the age of highest consumption was between 18-39 years (OR 1.3 p =.01) and smokers had a significant risk (OR 4.33 p=.001). According to the logistic regression model, among the main factors associated with harmful alcohol use they were: male gender, not having health insurance, smoking and living in the main city of the Metropolitan Area.

CONCLUSION: Street vendors have certain socio-demographic and labor variables that lead to raising their vulnerability. As for their spending habits, they have a high consumption of cigarettes and alcohol in relation to other group of workers, however the level of dependence is not superlative. In those who had detrimental alcohol consumption, the most important related variables to intervene were insufficient health coverage and smoking.