Background
Excessive alcohol use is a worldwide public health concern. There are a number of harmful risks associated with it, including alcohol dependence, alcohol related illnesses and accidents. The purpose of this quasi-experimental pretest-and-posttest study was to examine the efficacy and feasibility of auricular acupressure for harmful alcohol use.
Methods
A convenience sample of 88 aboriginal harmful drinkers from a township in southern Taiwan was divided into an acupressure and control group based on residence location. A total of 78 participants completed the study. The auricular acupressure intervention was implemented in acupressure group (n = 35) five days a week for 6 weeks. The control group (n = 43) received no intervention. The main outcome measure of alcohol use status (the Chinese version of Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, AUDIT) was examined at baseline and at 2 weeks and 3 months after the completion of the intervention. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to analyze the data.
Results
There was a reductionin the total AUDIT score and in the level of risk related to alcohol in both groups, with significant differences in outcome between groups at two weeks after the completion of the intervention. At the same time, the drinking frequency and the drinking amount of users in the auricular acupressure intervention group was significantly reduced compared to that of users in the control group.
Conclusions
A six-week auricular acupressure intervention had a positive effect for harmful drinkers.The auricular acupressure could be implemented as a strategy to reduce harmful drinking by healthcare workers in aboriginal communities.
