A study conducted by the University of Allied Health Sciences and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has discovered that female residents at Ho consume akpeteshie beyond recommended quantities.
Per the study led by Dr Fidelis Kpodo and Dr Nii Korley Kortei at the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Allied Health Sciences, the majority of women (66.7%) consumed akpeteshie beyond recommended quantities (1–2 drinks/day).
The report published in the 2023 edition of the Journal, Scientific African noted that 51.15 per cent of the males on the other hand consumed normal quantities of the drink (2–3 drinks per day).
“Females tend to consume small quantities of alcohol because of a relatively lower blood and fluid volume which is more vulnerable to the adverse outcomes of alcohol. Additionally, societal norms and traditional gender role attitudes had contributed to reduced alcohol consumption among females.
“In Ghana, Akpeteshie is considered a “hard” drink and a preserve of men, hence females have high preference for beer and wine,” the study provided as reason for difference in quantity.
Akpeteshie is a locally distilled liquor in Ghana and other West African countries. The local gin is known as “Koutoukou” in Ivory Coast and “ogogoro” in Nigeria by Ohimain.
The University of Allied Health Sciences and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) undertook cross-sectional study done in Ho, Volta Region of Ghana to among others survey the types of alcoholic beverages consumed, the frequency of akpeteshie consumption as well as the volume of akpeteshie consumed.
The survey was conducted using simple random sampling of 140 participants in various drinking spots/bars in the Ho municipality.
Most participants consumed akpeteshie every day (53.57%) whilst others consumed it occasionally (8.57%), 1–2 times in a week (9.29%), 3–4 times per week (22.86%) and 5–6 times in a typical week (5.71%).