Date of Publication
2024
Faculty Mentor
Jesse C. Hahn, MD, MPH
Abstract
Objective: To determine whether social support and rurality impact the association between heavy alcohol use and depression in Vermont adults.
Methods: A cross-sectional design was used to investigate the association of heavy alcohol use and depression using the 2021-2022 Vermont Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, (n=15,391). Analyses used weighted binomial logistic regression stratified by marital and metropolitan status.
Results: Participants with heavy alcohol consumption were more likely to have depression (OR=1.11, 95% CI 1.1-1.41, p=<0.001). This was consistent for single parents without spousal social support (OR=1.83, 95% CI 0.78-1.88 p=<0.001). Heavy alcohol consumption was associated with depression in metropolitan counties but not in non-metropolitan counties (OR=1.42, 95% CI 1.38-1.47 p=<0.001).
Conclusions: There is an association between heavy alcohol use and depression. Marital status and rurality do not impact the association between heavy alcohol use and depression among our population. Higher income was protective against depression across all demographics.
Policy Implications: Health policies should adapt to diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and settings, considering the impact of social support and rurality on mental health outcomes, especially regarding depression and alcohol use.
Document Type
Dissertation/Thesis
Recommended Citation
Alrai, Ahmed; Bankert, Ella; Chapman, Mandy; Sarrasin, Julia; and Vanacore, Emma, "The Association of Depression, Rurality, & Marital Status with Alcohol Use in a Rural Northeastern State" (2024). Master of Public Health Culminating Projects. 53.
https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/mphcp/53