Gender alcohol and culture The Belize chapter 1 st Pan American Conference on Alcohol Policies November 2005 Brasilia Dr. Claudina Cayetano

Belize GENACIS Survey

General Info About Belize  Administratively, Belize is divided into six districts  Each of these districts has distinct urban and rural demarcation.

Basic Statistics2003 Data Source Population, total273,300 CSO 2003 Mid Year Estimates Female Population49.5 CSO 2003 Mid Year Estimates Population under CSO 2003 Mid Year Estimates Population under 514.4% CSO 2003 Mid Year Estimates Rural population52% CSO 2003 Mid Year Estimates Life Expectancy at birth71.5 UNDP HDR 2004 GDP per capitaUS$3,653 Budget Speech 2003 GDP growth rate9.4% Budget Speech, 2003 Rate of inflation2.6% Budget Speech, 2003 Unemployment rate12.9 CSO 2003 Labour Force Survey Poverty, total population33.5% 2002 Living Standards Measurement Survey Prevalence of HIV Country 2.4% UNAIDS 2004 estimates for 2004

GENACIS QUESTIONNAIRE  Included:  Household characteristics  Education  Work Experience  Union Status, Sexuality  Drinking Behaviour  Violence and Victimization  Health and Lifestyle  Social Network

Objective:

Sampling  National  Size: 2,400 households (3.9% of HH)  Urban and Rural  Female and male 18 years and older  Face to Face Interviews  Questionnaire in English and Spanish

Fieldwork  Timing of Fieldwork: July - August 2005  Interviewers: 41  Constraints: weather conditions  Duration of Fieldwork: 4 weeks  20 households per week per interviewer

Limitations  Household survey did not include: –People in Institutions –Psychiatric Hospitals –Prison, –Youth Hostels –Resorts employees

Survey Administration  Completed interviews %  Vacant dwellings %  Non contacts %  Address not found %  Refusals %

Key Results  Total population interviewed 4778 –52.23 % Female –47. 76% Male  Lifetime abstainers % –Female 64.3 % –Male 35.7 %  Former drinkers % –Female % –Male 29.4 %

Key Results  Work Experience –Employed  Female25 %  Male75 % –Unemployed  Female78 %  Male22 %  Pregnant women4.4 %

Table 2a Belize: Population Percentage by Ethnicity and Sex Gender, Alcohol and Culture Survey Ethnicity Male Female Total % % % Creole East Indian Garifuna Maya Mennonite Metizo/Spanish Asian 0.6 Caucasian/White Total

Table 3 Belize:Total Population by School Level Gender, Alcohol and Culture Survey, 2005 School level Frequency Percent None 1, Primary 2, Secondary Tertiary University Dk/Ns Total 4,

Key Results  In all ages people favour drinking with friends  More than half did not use condom during intercourse  More men than women reported physical fights  11.5 % use Marijuana  Reason for not drinking: no interest,  47 % are Catholic

Acknowledgements  Belize Ministry of Health  Belize Central Statistical Office  WHO –Dr. Maristela Monteiro  CAMH –Dr. Jurgen Rhem –Ben Taylor –Dr. L. Glyskman