Kentuckians binge drink more often than residents of any other state, national survey for federal health agency finds

By Tara Kaprowy
Kentucky Health News

Kentuckians binge drink an average of about six times per month, more often than people living in any other state, a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found.

Binge drinking is defined as consuming four or more drinks for women and five or more drinks for men on one occasion. Nationwide, 17 percent of adults binge drink, up from 15 percent in a 2009 survey. That's one in six people, averaging four binges a month and eight drinks per binge (CDC graphic).

Excessive and binge drinking "causes more than 80,000 deaths in the United States each year, making it the third leading preventable cause of death," reports MSNBC. Binge drinkers are at an increased risk for liver disease, heart disease, of being in a car accident and engaging in violent behavior.

The report analyzed data from a 2010 telephone survey of 458,000 adults who described their previous 30 days of drinking. "Although the percentage of people reporting binge drinking was highest among young people, it was binge drinkers ages 65 and older who over-consumed the most often: this group reported an average of five to six episodes a month," MSNBC reports.

Though Kentuckians binge drink most often, residents of Wisconsin drink the most alcohol — up to 9 drinks on one occasion — and had the highest percentage, 25.6, of people who said they binge drink. Utah and West Virginia has the lowest share of people who say they binge drink, 10.9 percent. New Jersey had the lowest frequency, 3.6 times per month. (Read more)

Meanwhile, a study found drinking alcohol leads to the release of endorphins in parts of the brain that are responsible for feelings of pleasure and reward, says research-reporting service Newswise. "This is something that we've speculated about for 30 years, based on animal studies, but haven't observed in humans until now," said lead author Jennifer Mitchell, clinical project director at the Gallo Center at the University of California-San Francisco. "It provides the first direct evidence of how alcohol makes people feel good."

Excessive alcohol consumption costs the country about $223.5 billion per year, "mostly due to lost workplace productivity and increased health care costs," reports Sarah Kiff for The Washington Post. (Photo by Uselei Marcelino, Reuters)

A study by Canadian researchers has found that setting a minimum alcohol price can drive down those costs — and is more accepted by the public than imposing taxes. The researchers found "for every 10 percent hike in minimum alcohol price, they found people drank 3.4 percent less alcohol," Kiff reports. "For certain drinks, the effect was even more pronounced: Increasing the minimum price of wine by 10 percent correlates with an 8.9 percent drop in consumption. Beer, however, appeared relatively resilient to price fluctuations, with a 10 percent bump lowering consumption a paltry 1.5 percent."

England and Wales have passed legislation that prohibits the sale of below-cost alcohol. Scotland is considering a similar move. (Read more)

Kentucky Health News is a service of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, based in the School of Journalism and Telecommunications at the University of Kentucky, with support from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.

Spend $1 on smoking cessation, save $3 in health costs, Massachusetts study finds

Every $1 spent on smoking cessation in Massachusetts, saved $3 in health costs, a study of low-income Bay State residents found. That could bode well for the impact of a new smoking-cessation benefit in Kentucky's Medicaid program.

Massachusetts added a smoking-cessation benefit to its Medicaid program in 2006 and "let members choose from any FDA-approved options," reports Martha Bebinger for National Public Radio.

Researchers at George Washington University "found that members who quit saved three times the cost of the program in fewer heart-related hospitalizations after just over one year," Bebinger reports. "The study does not take into account the benefits of avoiding cancer or other long term smoking related illnesses."

Kentucky ranked 36th in the nation for tobacco prevention spending. Though it received $389 million in tobacco-settlment funds in fiscal year 2012, and ranks first or second in tobacco use, Kentucky spent just $2.2 million of that on prevention of tobacco use. It recently added a smoking-cessation benefit to Medicaid, a program that is funded mainly by the federal government but administered by individual states.

1 percent of population accounts for 22 percent of health-care spending, study finds

Just 1 percent of Americans were responsible for 22 percent of the nation's $1.26 trillion in health-care costs in 2009, and 5 percent accounted for 50 percent of costs, a federal report has found.

The numbers may seem shocking, but the concentration has dropped in recent years; in 1996, the top 1 percent of the population accounted for 28 percent of health-care spending.

"The report's findings can be used to predict which consumers are most likely to drive up health care costs and determine the best ways to save money," reports Kelly Kennedy of USA Today. (Read more)

Rural women are less likely to complete vaccinations for cervical-cancer virus; study finds vaccine does not increase sexual activity

Women living in rural areas of the U.S. were far less likely to return for their follow-up doses after they get the initial injection of the human papillomavirus vaccine, a study in the Journal of Rural Health has found. (Photo by Pete Rodman, Bowling Green Daily News)

The study contrasted the rates of vaccination follow-up by young women recruited from two rural locations and one urban location. "Despite being free, the researchers concluded that uptake of booster doses by rural women was problematic," states an article in the Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention's "RAP Time" publication. "This barrier might be resolved by providing the HPV doses at easy-to-access locations in rural communities, such as large grocery stores and area events."

The HPV vaccine requires three doses. The women who went to the rural clinic were seven times less likely to return for at least one follow-up dose.

The vaccine, which has proven to prevent most cervical cancers, has been approved for use in women ages 9 to 26 years, as well as boys. The vaccine is generally given at the age of 11 or 12 and is effective only if administered before a person becomes sexually active. As many as 80 percent of men and women become infected with HPV during their lives, but most do not develop symptoms or illness.

The vaccine has been met with reluctance by parents, some of whom fear it encourages sexual activity, but a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found girls or women who received the vaccine "were no more likely to be sexually active or have more partners than those not vaccinated."

Last year, just 49 percent of adolescent girls nationwide had received at least the first dose of the vaccine, and only a third had gotten all three. In Kentucky, just 25 percent of adolescent females had gotten the first dose and fewer than 11 percent had received all three doses.

In Kentucky, the annual death rate caused by cervical cancer is 2.9 deaths per 100,000. In the United States, it's 2.4 per 100,000. "The U.S. is remaining stable. Kentucky's is actually falling," gynecologist Dr. Mark Yurchisin told Alyssa Harvey of the Bowling Green Daily News.

The decrease is being attributed to an increase in screenings. "In certain counties in Kentucky there is a high incidence, they implemented outreach clinics because they didn't have clinics where they could get Pap screenings done," Yurchisin said. "They can diagnose it at an earlier and treatable stage." (Read more)

Shigellosis cases are on the rise in Louisville

There have been 60 confirmed cases of shingellosis in Louisville in the past three months, compared to an average of 62 per year in the area. About half of the new cases are in children who are 3 years old and younger.

"Shingellosis is caused by Shingella bacteria, which leaves the body of an infected person through the stool and enters another person's body when hands, food or objects contaminated with stool are placed in the mouth," reports Laura Ungar of The Courier-Journal. Because of the mode of transmission, maintaining personal hygiene is important.

"Hand washing is by far the most effective way to prevent shigellosis," said Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, director of the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health & Wellness. "We urge everyone — particularly parents, children, childcare workers and teachers — to wash their hands often."

Symptoms, which can occur one to seven days after exposure, include watery or loose stools, sudden onset of fever, nausea, abdominal cramping or vomiting. (Read more)

More transparency, accountability needed regarding child abuse, group plans to tell legislators

To decrease the number of children who are killed or nearly killed by abuse and neglect, there needs to be improved transparency and accountability at the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. This was the top recommendation made by a group of social workers, legislators, judges and child advocates who gathered at the Summit to End Child Abuse Deaths, put on by Kentucky Youth Advocates Saturday.

The other recommendations were to increase funds for services such as "appointed advocates, substance abuse programs, in-house services and parent advocate programs," increase funds for more social workers and support; and improve collaboration between child welfare agencies, reported Linda Blackford of the Lexington Herald-Leader. The group will send a letter to the General Assembly listing these recommendations.

Child abuse became a major issue for the state's largest newspapers after the Herald-Leader and The Courier-Journal sued the cabinet to gain access to records in which children had died or nearly died because of abuse. The cabinet had long fought to keep the records closed, even after Franklin Circuit Judge Philip Shepherd repeatedly ruled the records be released. In November, Gov. Steve Beshear likewise ordered the release of the records, but the cabinet tried to backtrack.

"Instead of lies, we need leadership," said Sen. Julie Denton, R-Louisville, at Saturday's meeting. Denton has repeatedly been outspoken about the issue, even asking for the resignation of Cabinet Secretary Janie Miller. Miller briefly attended Saturday's session, praising the efforts at collaboration, but saying the cabinet is being hit hard by budget cuts. She said the cabinet has lost $80 million in funding the past four years, but has asked for $20 million in new money over the next two years to pay for 300 more positions in its Department for Community Based Services. (Read more)