Patterns and effects of women’s alcohol consumption on family cohesiveness in Kirinyaga County, Kenya

Abstract

The study investigated the patterns and effects of women’s alcohol consumption on the family in Kirinyaga West Constituency in Kirinyaga County, Kenya. It was guided by the following objectives; to identify patterns of alcohol consumption among women, establish factors that motivate women to excessive alcohol consumption, investigate the effects of excessive alcohol use by women on the family and identification of possible ways of addressingthe problem in Kirinyaga West Constituency. The study adopted Caroline Moser’s gender roles concept and the family systems theory advanced by Kerr and Bowen. Descriptive research design was used on 114 women aged 19-45 years, residents in 25 villages in the area under study. The multi stage cluster sampling technique was used to draw a sample of 5 villages and thereafter from each, snow balling was used to select a sample of 25 women who indulged in alcohol consumption.Convenience sampling was used to select 20 men from the sampled villages andseven key informants who included a D.O and 6 sub chiefs in the region under study used in Focus Group Discussions. Data was collected using two sets of instruments; an interview guide and focus group discussion guide. The instruments were validated and their reliabilityproven, while a pilot study was conducted in a village that was not included in the study. Data was analyzed through descriptive statistics using the computer package SPSS. Quantitative data was presented in form of pie charts, bar graphs, frequency tables and percentages whereas qualitative data was analyzed into themes and patterns. The study established that majority of the women consume alcohol at home, major consumption time was at night andtriggers of alcohol consumption in women were financial, work, physiological and gender related. Major effects of alcohol consumption on the family were such as divorce, violence, neglect of parenting roles, engagement in risky sexual behavior and contracting of HIV/AIDS. The study recommended employment of community based methods to enable the community to work out their own gender inclusive ways of reducing alcohol consumption, equitable distribution of labouramongst all members of the family, addressing alcohol availability and accessibility,sensitization on the dangers of alcohol addiction and the application of poverty reduction methods within families