Prevalence and Determinants of Alcohol Use Disorder among Drivers of Public Service Vehicles in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania: A Mixed-Method Study

Joseph Bazil Meela^{1, 2,} , Alferd Owino Odongo², Elvis Bazil Meela³, Sperancia Coelestine Lushasi⁴, Ester Mwenitumba⁵ and Samuel Mukiha Karenga⁶

¹Department of Dentistry, Muhimbili College of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es salaam, Tanzania.

²Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Mount Kenya University, Thika, Kenya

³Department of Health, Christian Social Services Commission, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

⁴Department of Environmental Health and Ecological Sciences, Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es salaam, Tanzania

⁵Licensing and Registration Department, Private Health Authority Board, Dodoma, Tanzania

⁶Department of Health and Pure Sciences, Mount Kenya University, Thika, Kenya

Cite this paper:
Joseph Bazil Meela, Alferd Owino Odongo, Elvis Bazil Meela, Sperancia Coelestine Lushasi, Ester Mwenitumba and Samuel Mukiha Karenga. Prevalence and Determinants of Alcohol Use Disorder among Drivers of Public Service Vehicles in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania: A Mixed-Method Study. American Journal of Public Health Research. 2026; 14(4):80-89. doi: 10.12691/ajphr-14-4-2

Abstract

Alcohol use disorder poses serious dangers to public safety. It causes approximately three million deaths and 132 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), with nearly three-quarters of the global burden affecting men. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) continues to exist and is associated with a range of negative consequences. Adverse alcohol use disorders are becoming more prevalent in low- and middle-income countries, including Tanzania. Drivers of public service vehicles experience recurrent episodes of alcohol use disorder. However, little is known about its burden, socio-demographic and social determinant in Tanzania, which limits the development and implementation of evidence-based interventions. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence, socio-demographic and social determinants of alcohol use disorder among public service vehicle drivers in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania in 2023. Analytical cross-sectional survey was carried out in May 2023 among public service drivers in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Stratified proportional random sampling was used alongside with mixed approaches to gather the data. Quantitative data were processed and analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariable log-binomial model, using STATA version 15 software. Qualitative data on determinants of AUD among public services vehicles drivers were analyzed thematically through an iterative process using NVivo software. A total of 292 males who were recruited in the study were analyzed. The majority of respondents, (83.0%) acknowledged alcohol consumption. The study showed that AUD had a prevalence of 63% among drivers of public service vehicles (PSV). After controlling for confounding variables, alcohol use disorders had a positive association with stress (PR=1.56; 95% CI, 1.05 - 2.32; p<0.027), sources of alcoholic beverages used (PR=3.84; 95%CI, 1.37 - 10.72; p<.01), low prices of alcoholic beverages (PR= 2.06; 95%CI, 1.09 - 3.88; p<.025), and employment status (PR=0.52; 95%CI, 0.27 - 0.94; p=0.041). This study revealed a high burden of AUD among PSV drivers and its determinants in Tanzania. This suggests a major public health risk. There is an urgent need to enhance the detection of AUD and to develop additional preventive and protective strategies. These interventions are essential to promote the health and wellbeing of public service vehicle drivers.

Keywords:
Alcohol use disorder Tanzania Public services vehicle Prevalence Determinants Drivers

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