Impact of Environmental Pollutants on Health in HIV Patients Who Consume Alcohol: A Case Study of Vwang District

Abstract

This study looked at how people in Vwang District of Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria, drank alcohol, were exposed to the environment, and had health problems. 399 individuals from a variety of socio-demographic groups participated in a cross-sectional survey. The results showed that 53.5 percent of respondents were female and 46.5% were male. The majority of respondents (39%) were between the ages of 36 and 45, most were married (52.5 percent), and most were traders who worked for themselves. The majority (32.5%) had a National Certificate of Education, with a fairly even distribution of educational attainment. Surprisingly, 97.1% of respondents reported having consumed alcohol recently. Beer was consumed by 55.1 percent of respondents, followed by palm wine (26.2 percent) and spirits (18.7%). Consumption patterns varied, with 25.6% drinking daily and an equal percentage occasionally. 85.3% of HIV-positive respondents reported drinking within the first year of diagnosis, indicating that they continued to engage in risky behavior despite being vulnerable to health risks. Environmental challenges identified included industrial and vehicle emissions (26.4%), household cooking smoke (56.7%), contaminated water (19.5%), and poor waste disposal (14.9%). 61.8 percent of participants concurred that these exposures and alcohol use were perceived to worsen health outcomes. Reported health complications included fatigue (56.7%), breathing difficulties (16.7%), and frequent infections (8.2%). Encouragingly, 84.9% of respondents had received medical advice on avoiding alcohol and pollutants, and 51.5% demonstrated very high awareness of the associated risks. Preventive measures such as mask use (56.7%) and water filtration (31%) were adopted by many respondents, although persistent alcohol use limited their effectiveness.

The findings highlight the complex link between socio-demographics, alcohol consumption, environmental exposures, and health vulnerability. Reduce the compounded risks that Jos South residents face by implementing specific interventions that focus on health education, behavior modification, and policy enforcement.