The number of young women in their teens and 20s diagnosed with alcohol use disorder is increasing at a rapid pace. (Image credit: Kobiz Media)
SEOUL, Oct. 6 (Korea Bizwire) — The number of Korean women undergoing medical treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD), a condition that refers to excessive dependence or addiction to alcoholic beverages, is growing day by day.
According to data revealed on Sunday by the National Health Insurance Service, the number of individuals who were diagnosed as having AUD totaled 74,915 last year. Of the total, men accounted for 57,958, while 16,957 were women.
Over the past five years, the number of women suffering from AUD has grown by 11 percent, which can be contrasted with a decrease of 6.1 percent among men during the same period.
The data also showed that the number of young women in their teens and 20s diagnosed with AUD is increasing at a rapid pace.
The number of female teenagers with AUD increased by 49.7 percent over the past five years, while the number of women in their 20s with AUD rose by 36.9 percent during the same period.
In contrast, the overall number of men suffering from AUD dropped during the same period, with the exception of those in their 20s and those in their 80s.
In these two age groups, growth in AUD cases reached 35.7 percent and 26.6 percent, respectively, over the same period.
“According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s survey, the prevalence rate of alcohol use disorder is 16.2 percent,” said Rep. Nam In-soon, a lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Party and a member of the Health and Welfare Committee at the National Assembly.
“But unlike depression disorder and anxiety disorder, the share of individuals who undergo medical treatment for alcohol use disorder remains low at 8.1 percent.”
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
