Depression and Alcohol Use Behaviours among Primary and Secondary School Teachers in Mwanza, Tanzania; A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Depressive disorders and alcohol use disorders are highly prevalent in the workplace and have an enormously negative impact on work performance, productivity, absenteeism, and disability costs. Little is known about the burden among primary and secondary school teachers in Tanzania. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Mwanza City in the Lake and Western zones of the United Republic of Tanzania aimed at determining the prevalence and factors associated with depression and alcohol use behaviours among teachers where primary and secondary school teachers from both private and public schools were involved. A total of 300 teachers were recruited and interviewed using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). A systematic sampling approach was used to select both schools and participants. Results: The mean age of the participants was 36.1 (SD = 8.465), the majority of the participants were from primary and public schools, 60.67% and 55.67%, respectively. Using cut-off points of four and eight for PHQ-9 and AUDIT, respectively, 51% of the participants had symptoms of depression, and 16% had harmful alcohol use. While the male gender, being married, having a low number of children, and degree level of education was statistically less likely to be associated with depression, on the other hand, male gender, age group of 41-50, being married and having a high number of children were statistically more likely to be associated with harmful alcohol use. Limitations: A cross-sectional study was used, which relies on self-report of symptoms which could lead to recall bias. Despite that, the study was done among both public and private primary and secondary school teachers from the largest city in the lake and western zone of Tanzania, which serves a diverse population still, and regional differences could be there. Conclusion: Depression and alcohol use disorders are high among a sample of our teachers in Mwanza Tanzania; further studies are needed to explore and measure the incidence, causal inference and the association between outcomes and risk factors.