Disorders Identification Test-Consumption Research Articles

Pregaming: A Field-Based Investigation of Alcohol Quantities Consumed Prior to Visiting a Bar and Restaurant District

Background: Investigations examining the association between pregaming, or the consumption of alcohol prior to attending a social gathering or drinking establishment, and blood alcohol concentrations have primarily relied on estimations (i.e., Widmark equation), rather than objective biologic samples, such as breath alcohol concentration (BrAC). Objectives: The current study assessed: (1) pregaming, using quantity-based measures, among a sample of college and non-college affiliated bar patrons, (2) associations between pregaming intensity/status and participant intoxication (BrAC), and (3) whether participants who pregamed were more likely to identify as a hazardous drinker. Methods: 548 bar patrons provided data on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) and a single pregaming item assessing quantity of alcohol consumed prior to visiting a bar/restaurant district in 2015. BrAC samples were collected post interview. We used hierarchical linear regression models, respectively, to assess whether pregaming significantly impacted BrAC and whether presence of hazardous drinking predicted pregaming behavior. Results: After controlling for sex, race/ethnicity, age, student status, and Greek affiliation, the linear regression model explained 32.3% (R2 = .323) of the variance of BrAC levels (F(12) = 21.162, p < .001), with 4.30% of the variance explained solely by pregaming (β = 0.014; p < .001). The linear regression model to assess if harzardous drinking behavior (AUDIT-C) significantly predicted pregaming explained 31.2% (R2 = .312) of the variance of pregaming behavior (F(18) = 13.276, p < .001), with 4.2% of the variance explained solely by AUDIT-C scores (β = 0.280; p < .001). Conclusion: Findings further highlight pregaming as a harmful risk behavior linked to elevated levels of hazardous drinking and intoxication.

Challenges in Accurately Assessing Prenatal Alcohol Exposure in a Study of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder in a Youth Detention Center.

BackgroundPrenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can result in permanent disability, including physical, neurodevelopmental, and cognitive impairments, known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Individuals with FASD are more likely to engage with the law, including being placed in detention, than individuals without FASD. Young people who were sentenced to detention participated in a FASD prevalence study in Western Australia. The diagnosis of FASD requires a multidisciplinary assessment and confirmation of maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Obtaining accurate assessment of PAE for young people participating in the study was challenging.MethodsAn interview with the birth mother or other responsible adult for young people sentenced to detention in Western Australia was conducted as part of the FASD assessment. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test consumption subset (AUDIT‐C), other relevant questions, and documentary evidence were used to assess PAE. PAE was categorized according to the Australian Guide to the Diagnosis of FASD: no PAE reported, confirmed or confirmed high‐risk, or unknown.ResultsAmong the 101 participants, information on PAE was unable to be obtained for 13 (13%) young people. Of the remaining 88 participants with information of PAE, 41 reported no PAE and 47 had confirmed PAE.ConclusionsAccurately assessing prenatal alcohol consumption is challenging in any setting, but it is exceptionally challenging when assessed 13 to 17 years retrospectively as part of a FASD assessment for a young person sentenced to detention. Recording and recoding detailed qualitative responses was required to provide an accurate assessment of PAE using the AUDIT‐C. Standardized recording of PAE in antenatal and birth records would facilitate later assessments for FASD and provide opportunities for advice and support for women who continue to drink during pregnancy.

Does adult alcohol consumption combine with adverse childhood experiences to increase involvement in violence in men and women? A cross-sectional study in England and Wales

ObjectivesTo examine if, and to what extent, a history of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) combines with adult alcohol consumption to predict recent violence perpetration and victimisation.DesignRepresentative face-to-face survey (n=12 669)...

2224. Receipt and Virologic Outcomes of HCV Direct-Acting Antivirals by Alcohol Use and HIV Status

BackgroundThe impact of alcohol use and HIV infection on receipt of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy and subsequent cure of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) is unknown.MethodsUsing the Veterans Health Administration (VA) Birth Cohort (>4.5 million patients born 1945–1965), we performed a cohort study among HCV RNA+ patients with at least one outpatient visit between 1 January 2014 and 31 May 2017; laboratory values were assessed through 30 November 2017. Alcohol use (abstinent, lower risk drinking, hazardous/binge drinking, diagnosis of alcohol use disorder [AUD]) was assessed in the year prior to the initial outpatient visit based on Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption questionnaire scores and validated ICD AUD codes. We defined DAA receipt based on filled prescriptions and achievement of HCV cure as sustained virologic response ≥12 weeks after treatment (SVR12). We calculated frequency of DAA receipt and SVR12 by alcohol use category and HIV status. We estimated associations between alcohol use and SVR12 by HIV status using logistic regression.ResultsAmong 134,491 HCV RNA+ patients with known alcohol use status, 3,670 (3%) were HIV+. More HIV+ patients were dispensed DAA therapy than uninfected persons (53.6% vs. 49.5%; P < 0.0001). Abstinent and lower risk drinkers were more likely to receive DAAs than hazardous/binge drinkers or those with an AUD (52.9%, 51.5%, 47.1%, 44.6%, respectively; P < 0.0001, Figure 1). While high SVR12 rates were observed across all alcohol use categories (range, 88.8–92.4% HIV+; 90.1–93.2% uninfected), those with AUD experienced modestly lower rates of SVR12 compared with abstinent individuals (89.1% vs. 92.1% HIV+; 90.1% vs. 91.6% HIV−, Figure 2). After adjusting for age, FIB-4, BMI, and hepatic decompensation, HIV− patients with an AUD were significantly less likely to achieve SVR12 compared with abstinent patients (OR, 0.88; 95% CI 0.81–0.94, Figure 3). ConclusionHIV+ patients and abstinent or lower risk drinkers were more likely to receive DAAs compared with uninfected patients and hazardous/binge drinkers or those with an AUD. High SVR12 rates were observed across all alcohol categories. These findings indicate a potential role for alcohol interventions along with HCV care and treatment.Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

Factors associated with risky consumption of alcohol in a sample of university students

Introduction During the university period, student wellbeing is exposed to the negative effects of many stressful factors, including the use and abuse of alcoholic beverages. The aim of this study is to estimate the risky alcohol consumption within the student population of the University of Palermo. Material and methods An anonymous online questionnaire was provided to enrolled in the mailing list of the Regional Agency for the Right to University Study (ERSU) of the University of Palermo. the first section investigated demographic and social data, while in the second section the A.U.D.I.T. C (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption) test was administered. Results 539 subjects agreed to the informed consent and completed the questionnaire. The average of the sample is 22.65 years (SD ± 2.95). Considering as dependent variable students with risky consumption of alcohol, the statistically significant independent variables associated were: age class ≤22 years old (aOR 2.02, 95% CI 1.18-3.44, p=0.019), don't live with own family (aOR 3.21, 95% CI 1.81-5.69, p&0.001) and I currently smoke (aOR 6.44, 95% CI 3.85-10.79, p&0.001). Conclusions The results of the study show that about 19% of experience risky alcohol consumption. This percentage seems not to be gender related. Information and training campaigns focused on alcoholism and related risks are of great importance in order to educate on the socio-economic costs of alcohol related diseases to public health; parents can play a crucial role in minimising the use of alcohol in their sons/children through dialogue if properly trained to address these issues. In fact, our study seems to show that those who no longer live in the household have a higher risk of alcohol consumption.

Questioning the Social Norms Approach for Alcohol Reduction in First-Year Undergraduate Students–A Canadian Perspective

The social norms approach to changing excessive drinking behaviour is predicated upon findings that overestimations of peer drinking predict one’s own drinking behaviour. Prior studies have yet to examine whether such social norms effects pertain equally to both genders. First-year students from a Canadian university (N = 1,155; 696 males, 459 females) were assessed for the relationship between misperceived drinking norms and hazardous drinking using the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test-Consumption scale (AUDIT-C). A significant positive relationship between the overestimated drinking frequency norm and hazardous drinking was determined for female students, where the odds of hazardous drinking increased by 1.92 (95% CI: 1.32–2.79) when the norm of other female students was overestimated. A non-significant association was found for male students, where the odds of hazardous drinking were unrelated to overestimation of the drinking norm of other male students. The null association for male students highlights a potential problem when using social norms interventions for alcohol reduction for males in the university context. Implications of these results for the utilization of the social norms approach to alcohol reduction are discussed.

Reduction in Nonabstinent WHO Drinking Risk Levels and Change in Risk for Liver Disease and Positive AUDIT-C Scores: Prospective 3-Year Follow-Up Results in the U.S. General Population.

Abstinence is often the treatment aim for alcohol use disorders (AUD), but this may deter individuals who prefer drinking reduction goals from entering treatment, and be an overly restrictive end point in alcohol clinical trials. Nonabstinent drinking reductions that predict improvement in how individuals feel or function may be useful clinical trial outcomes, for example, reductions in the 4-category World Health Organization (WHO) drinking risk levels. To investigate the clinical relevance of these reductions, we examined their relationship with 2 outcomes of interest to medical providers: liver disease, and positive scores on an alcohol screening measure. Current drinkers in a U.S. national survey (n=21,925) were interviewed in 2001 to 2002 (Wave 1) and re-interviewed 3years later (Wave 2). WHO drinking risk levels, liver disease, and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) were assessed at both waves. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) were used to indicate the association of change in WHO drinking risk levels with Wave 2 liver disease and AUDIT-C scores. Wave 1 very-high-risk drinkers who reduced 1, 2, or 3 WHO drinking risk levels had significantly lower odds of Wave 2 liver disease (aORs=0.34, 0.23, 0.17) and positive AUDIT-C scores (aORs=0.27, 0.09, 0.03). Wave 1 high-risk drinkers who reduced 1 or 2 WHO risk levels had significantly lower odds of positive AUDIT-C scores (aORs=0.61, 0.25). Adjusting for alcohol dependence or AUDIT-C scoring variations did not affect results. In the highest-risk drinkers, reductions in WHO drinking risk levels predicted lower likelihood of liver disease and positive AUDIT-C scores. Results add to findings that reductions in the 4-category WHO drinking risk levels are a meaningful indicator of how individuals feel and function, and could serve as nonabstinent end points in clinical trials. Results also connect the WHO risk drinking levels to commonly used alcohol screening questions, which may be more familiar to healthcare providers.

Brief intervention on Smoking, Nutrition, Alcohol and Physical (SNAP) inactivity for smoking relapse prevention after release from smoke-free prisons: a study protocol for a multicentre, investigator-blinded, randomised controlled trial

IntroductionSmoking remains the leading risk factor for disease burden and mortality worldwide. Heavy Smoking is often associated with poor Nutrition, Alcohol abuse and Physical inactivity (known as ‘SNAP’). Australia’s first...

Anger rumination, binge eating, and at‐risk alcohol use in a university sample

ObjectiveBinge eating and alcohol consumption have been associated with attempts to reduce negative affect such as anger. Anger rumination has been associated with maintaining anger. The aim of the current study was to explore the association between anger rumination and binge eating and at‐risk alcohol use.MethodParticipants were 563 university students aged between 18 and 66-years who completed an online survey containing the Anger Rumination Scale (ARS), Eating Disorder Diagnosis Scale (EDDS), Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test—Consumption (AUDIT‐C) and Depression, Anxiety, & Stress Scale (DASS‐21).ResultsThe results showed that individuals who endorsed elevated levels of binge eating behaviour had increased levels of anger rumination, specifically angry afterthoughts and angry memories, compared to healthy controls. In contrast, individuals who engaged in at‐risk alcohol use without binge eating did not report significantly increased levels of anger rumination.ConclusionsThis study highlights anger rumination as a potential factor in maintaining binge eating behaviour and suggests that screening for and addressing anger rumination may be an important component of psychological treatment.

Examination of associations between risky driving behaviors and hazardous drinking among a sample of college students

Objective: Hazardous drinking is associated with other risky behaviors and negative health-related outcomes. This study examined covariation between hazardous drinking scores and the following risky driving behaviors: Falling asleep while driving, texting (receiving and sending) while driving, and driving after consuming alcohol.Methods: The participants in this study were a sample of undergraduate students (N = 1,298) who were enrolled in an introductory health course at a large Southeastern university in spring 2016 and completed an online health survey that assessed hazardous drinking, falling asleep while driving, texting while driving, and driving after consuming alcohol. We conducted a series of 2-step regression analyses to examine covariation between hazardous drinking scores (using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test–Consumption [AUDIT-C]) and the risky driving behaviors of interest.Results: We found that the majority of participants did not drink and drive (91.8%), nor did they fall asleep while driving (80.4%); however, the majority did read a text while driving (81.7%) and sent a text while driving (75.3%). In the full multivariable model, hazardous drinking score was positively associated with drinking and driving (step 2 odds ratio [OR] = 1.28, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.18, 1.38) and sending a text message while driving (step 2 b = 0.19, P = .01). Hazardous drinking score was also positively associated with reading a text while driving (step 1 b = 0.14, P < .001) and falling asleep while driving (step 1 b = 0.02, P = .02) in the model only controlling for demographic characteristics. The analyses also indicated covariability between the following risky driving behaviors: (1) drinking and driving/reading a text message while driving, (2) drinking and driving/falling asleep and driving, (3) reading a text while driving/sending a text while driving, and (4) sending a text while driving/sleeping and driving.Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate a need for interventions discouraging both hazardous drinking and risky driving behaviors in college student populations; recommendations to reduce risky driving and hazardous drinking are discussed.

AUDIT-C and ICD codes as phenotypes for harmful alcohol use: association with ADH1B polymorphisms in two US populations.

Longitudinal electronic health record (EHR) data offer a large-scale, untapped source of phenotypical information on harmful alcohol use. Using established, alcohol-associated variants in the gene that encodes the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase 1B (ADH1B) as criterion standards, we compared the individual and combined validity of three longitudinal EHR-based phenotypes of harmful alcohol use: Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) trajectories; mean age-adjusted AUDIT-C; and diagnoses of alcohol use disorder (AUD). With longitudinal EHR data from the Million Veteran Program (MVP) linked to genetic data, we used two population-specific polymorphisms in ADH1B that are associated strongly with AUD in African Americans (AAs) and European Americans (EAs): rs2066702 (Arg369Cys, AAs) and rs1229984 (Arg48His, EAs) as criterion measures. United States Department of Veterans Affairs Healthcare System. A total of 167 721 veterans (57 677 AAs and 110 044 EAs; 92% male, mean age=63years) took part in this study. Data were collected from 1 October 2007 to 1May 2017. Using all AUDIT-C scores and AUD diagnostic codes recorded in the EHR, we calculated age-adjusted mean AUDIT-C values, longitudinal statistical trajectories of AUDIT-C scores and ICD-9/10 diagnostic groupings for AUD. A total of 19 793 AAs (34.3%) had one or two minor alleles at rs2066702 [minor allele frequency (MAF)=0.190] and 6933 EAs (6.3%) had one or two minor alleles at rs1229984 (MAF=0.032). In both populations, trajectories and age-adjusted mean AUDIT-C were correlated (r=0.90) but, when considered separately, highest score (8+ versus 0) of age-adjusted mean AUDIT-C demonstrated a stronger association with the ADH1B variants [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.54 in AAs and 0.37 in AAs] than did the highest trajectory (aOR 0.71 in AAs and 0.53 in EAs); combining AUDIT-C metrics did not improve discrimination. When age-adjusted mean AUDIT-C score and AUD diagnoses were considered together, age-adjusted mean AUDIT-C (8+ versus 0) was associated with lower odds of having the ADH1B minor allele than were AUD diagnostic codes: aOR=0.59 versus 0.86 in AAs and 0.48 versus 0.68 in EAs. These independent associations combine to yield an even lower aOR of 0.51 for AAs and 0.33 for EAs. The age-adjusted mean AUDIT-C score is associated more strongly with genetic polymorphisms of known risk for alcohol use disorder than are longitudinal trajectories of AUDIT-C or AUD diagnostic codes. AUD diagnostic codes modestly enhance this association.

Validity of the AUDIT-C screen for at-risk drinking among students utilizing university primary care

ABSTRACTObjective: Research is needed to establish the psychometric properties of brief screens in university primary care settings. This study aimed to assess the construct validity of one such screen, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C), for detecting at-risk drinking among students who have utilized on-campus primary care.Participants: 389 students recently seen in university primary care completed a confidential online survey in December 2014.Methods: Bivariate correlations between the AUDIT-C and measures of alcohol consumption and negative drinking consequences provided concurrent evidence for construct validity. Receiver Operating Characteristic curve analyses determined optimal cut-off scores for at-risk drinking.Results: The AUDIT-C significantly correlated with measures of alcohol consumption and negative drinking consequences (p < .001). Analyses support optimal AUDIT-C cut-off scores of 5 for females and 7 for males.Conclusions: The AUDIT-C is a valid screen for at-risk drinking among students who utilize university primary care.

Effectiveness of a Combined Web-Based and Ecological Momentary Intervention for Incoming First-Year University Students: Protocol for a 3-Arm Randomized Controlled Trial.

BackgroundAlcohol use among university students is common, and those who drink often choose to drink heavily (ie, 4 or more drinks per session for women or 5 or more for men). Web-based interventions (WBIs), in which students complete assessments and receive personalized feedback about their alcohol use, and ecological momentary interventions (EMIs), which use mobile devices as a method of delivering intervention information, are 2 methods that have had some success in reducing alcohol use among university students.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a combined WBI and EMI intervention to reduce alcohol use among university students.MethodsThe study is a 3-arm randomized controlled trial. Participants will be randomized into either a WBI+EMI condition, a WBI-only condition, or an assessment-only control. Our sample will consist of first-year university students, recruited through 5 residential colleges at the University of Otago, New Zealand. All participants will complete an online survey at baseline (ie, before Orientation Week); those in the WBI-only and WBI+EMI conditions will immediately receive personalized feedback (ie, the WBI), whereas participants in the assessment-only condition will receive no feedback. In addition, participants randomized into the WBI+EMI, but not those in the WBI-only or assessment-only groups, will receive 8 Orientation Week (2 per day on nights with large social events) and 6 academic year EMIs (delivered fortnightly). Participants in all conditions will complete brief surveys at the end of the first and second semester and report their weekend alcohol use fortnightly throughout each semester via ecological momentary assessments.ResultsThe primary hypothesis is that participants in the WBI+EMI group will consume significantly fewer drinks during weekends in their first semester at university compared with WBI-only and assessment-only groups. Secondary hypotheses are that, when compared with the WBI-only and assessment-only groups, the WBI+EMI group will report consuming fewer drinks during Orientation Week, report experiencing fewer negative alcohol-related consequences after first semester, and report lower Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test-Consumption scores following their first semester.ConclusionsThis study adds to a growing body of work investigating the utility of WBIs and EMIs in curbing alcohol consumption. In addition, the study will help to inform policy approaches aimed at curbing alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm in university students.Trial RegistrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12618000015246; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=374104&isReview=true (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6z9jRLTz6)Registered Report IdentifierRR1-10.2196/10164

Selecting and Interpreting Alcohol Biomarker Tests: Enough to Drive You to Drink.

Alcohol use disorders (AUDs)2 are common and lead to unintentional and intentional health consequences from liver disease to death. Approximately 4% of deaths worldwide are because of an AUD and up to 20% of hospital inpatients have an AUD (1). Treatment of alcohol-dependent individuals varies by clinical setting and physician type (e.g., general practitioners vs addiction specialists). Routine screening and behavioral intervention for alcohol misuse is one of the most cost-effective clinical preventative services and is recommended by the US Preventive Services Task Forces (2, 3). Although various interview formats are used to quantify alcohol intake, such as the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test Consumption, laboratory tests for alcohol biomarkers are seen as complementary objective measures to supplement self-reporting and comprehensive patient history/physical examination (4). One of the challenges is selecting an alcohol biomarker and applying appropriate cutoff concentrations to monitor alcohol use/abstinence and …

Aspirational Brand Choice and Underage Alcohol Use.

Marketing aims to foster brand allegiance, and alcohol is a heavily marketed commodity. We hypothesize that exposed youth who are able to identify an aspirational alcohol brand will be at higher risk for underage drinking. U.S. youth ages 15-20 (N = 2,012; 51% female) were surveyed twice in 2011-2013. Aspirational brand was assessed by asking, "If you could drink any brand you want, what is the name of the brand of alcohol you would choose?" Multivariable logistic regression tested associations between having an aspirational brand at baseline and onset of ever, binge (≥6 drinks/occasion), and hazardous drinking (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption ≥ 4). Baseline ever, binge, and hazardous drinking prevalence was 55%, 26%, and 19%, respectively; 47% reported having an aspirational brand, of whom 20% were nondrinkers. Top five reported brands were Budweiser, Smirnoff, Corona, Jack Daniels, and Bacardi, all heavily advertised brands. Older age, male gender, sensation seeking, and peer/parent drinking were associated with having an aspirational brand. After we controlled for these confounders, having an aspirational brand was independently associated cross-sectionally with greater risk of ever, binge, and hazardous drinking (adjusted odds ratio = 4.47, 95% CI [3.33, 6.00], 4.84 [3.41, 6.86], and 5.46 [3.63, 8.23], respectively) and longitudinally with initiation of binge and hazardous drinking (1.80 [1.19, 2.73] and 2.02 [1.33, 3.06], respectively). Having an aspirational alcohol brand is both common and independently associated with subsequent underage alcohol use and misuse. Further studies examining how youth interact with and are affected by branded advertising are critical to guide development of effective education and policy interventions.

Trajectories of alcohol consumption in U.S. military veterans: Results from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study.

While alcohol use disorder is prevalent in U.S. veterans, little is known about the nature and determinants of predominant trajectories of alcohol consumption in this population. The objective of the current study was to identify predominant trajectories of alcohol consumption over a 4-year period, and baseline determinants of these trajectories in veterans. Data were analyzed from the National Health and Resilience in Veteran Study, which surveyed a nationally representative sample of 3,157 veterans (Wave 1). Assessments (Waves 2 and 3) were conducted every 2 years thereafter. Alcohol consumption was assessed using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption, a brief alcohol screen for identifying problematic drinking based on alcohol consumption. Wave 1 sociodemographic, military, health, and psychosocial variables were examined as possible determinants of trajectories of alcohol consumption. Latent growth mixture modeling revealed that a four-class model best fit the data: rare drinkers (65.3%), moderate drinkers (30.2%), excessive drinkers (2.6%), and recovering drinkers (1.9%). Lifetime major depressive disorder (MDD) was linked to an excessive drinking trajectory, while fewer medical conditions and lower social support were linked to a moderate drinking trajectory. Having a secure attachment style and greater social support, and absence of lifetime MDD was linked to recovery from excessive drinking. Four predominant trajectories of alcohol consumption were identified. Targeting MDD and related interpersonal factors such as attachment style and social support in population-based prevention and treatment initiatives may help prevent, mitigate, and promote recovery from excessive alcohol consumption in veterans. (Am J Addict 2018;XX:1-8).

Cut-off points for screening at-risk drinking by AUDIT-C Korean version at emergency department

PurposeTo reduce problems caused by alcohol drinking, it is necessary to identify those with ‘at-risk drinking’ behavior to maximize therapeutic access or intervention. To this end, we sought to determine the cut-off point for screening of at-risk drinking by the Korean version of the AUDIT-C (Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test-Consumption). Materials and methodsWe obtained data from the scientific research project of “the supervision of the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDCP)” in 2010. Injured patients over an 18-year-of age who visited an emergency department of an academic tertiary hospital from May to September 2010 were recruited to perform the AUDIT. The total number of patients who underwent the screening test was 640, 12.7% of the entire patients studied. Among them, 375 patients (58.4%) were men, and 265 patients (41.4%) were women. At-risk drinking was diagnosed based on the AUDIT total score and the cut-off points of the AUDIT-C were determined. ResultsCut-off points were 5 for men [Area Under the Receiver Operation Characteristic (AUROC) 0.956], 4 for women (AUROC 0.966), and 4 in elders >65-year-of age (AUROC 0.972). ConclusionThis study is the first research about the cut-off points of Korean version of AUDIT-C for patients including women and elders to screen for at-risk drinking in South Korea. AUDIT-C is a useful and accurate tool to screen patients for at-risk drinking.

The influence of hazardous drinking on psychological functioning, stress and sleep during and after treatment in patients with mental health problems: a secondary analysis of a randomised controlled intervention study

ObjectivesHazardous drinking could negatively affect health and lead to alcohol use disorders, but it is unclear how hazardous drinking affects treatment outcomes of depression and anxiety and stress-related mental health...

Association Between Alcohol Use and Angina Symptoms Among Outpatients From the Veterans Health Administration.

Alcohol use is associated with angina incidence, but associations between alcohol use and experience of angina among patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) have not been described. Outpatients with CAD from 7 clinics in the Veterans Health Administration were surveyed; alcohol use was measured using the validated Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption scores categorized into 6 groups: nondrinking, low-risk drinking, and mild, moderate, severe, and very severe unhealthy alcohol use. Three domains of self-reported angina symptoms (frequency, stability, and physical function) were measured with the Seattle Angina Questionnaire. Linear regression models evaluated associations between alcohol use groups and angina symptoms. Models were adjusted first for age and then additionally for smoking, comorbidities, and depression. Patients (n = 8303) had a mean age of 66 years. In age-adjusted analyses, a U-shaped association was observed between alcohol use groups and all angina outcomes, with patients in nondrinking and severe unhealthy alcohol groups reporting the greatest angina symptoms and lowest functioning. After full adjustment, no clinically important and few statistically important differences were observed across alcohol use in angina stability or frequency. Patients in the nondrinking group had statistically greater functional limitation from angina than those in all groups of unhealthy alcohol use, though differences were small. Patients in all groups of unhealthy alcohol use did not differ significantly from those with low-risk drinking. Alcohol use was associated with some small statistically but no clinically important differences in angina symptoms among patients with CAD. This cross-sectional study does not support a protective effect of low-level drinking on self-reported angina.

Anxiety, depression and risk consumption of alcohol in a sample of university students

The university student is vulnerable to the adverse effects of many stress factors that can lead to depressive symptoms, anxiety and alcohol abuse, causing an increase in the burden of illness in young people. The aim of the study was to measure depressive symptoms, anxiety levels, and harmful alcohol consumption within the student population of the University of Palermo. An online questionnaire was sent by e-mail to the 8500 students enrolled in the (ERSU) Regional Office for the Right to University Study's mailing list in Palermo. It was evaluated the severity of depressive symptoms through the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self Report, anxiety symptoms using the Beck Anxiety Inventory and risky consumption of alcohol by using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption test. From the test it was possible to get individual scores that allow you to evaluate the risk by associating each individual with a category. The obtained variables were analyzed by Pearson square test (χ 2). The questionnaire answered 1102 individuals, 756 females (68.60%), with an average age of 22 years (± 3.28). 13.52% of the sample have a risky consumption of alcohol. 22.14% showed moderate depressive symptoms and 12.16% had serious and very serious symptoms. Respectively, 19.69% and 7.53% have moderate and high levels of anxiety. As for depressive symptoms (χ2 (4)=31.58, p<0.001) and anxiety (χ2 (2)=20.71; p<0.001), the female gender is assigned to more relevant reference categories than males. There are no statistically significant differences of risky consumption of alcohol in terms of gender or type or length of course. An analysis of the data shows that anxiety, depression and alcoholism risk have a similar distribution in all degree courses. Female students are more vulnerable to anxiety and depression. Active public health planning and implementation of structural and organizational measures would be very effective in reducing alcohol consumption and promoting health.