Low-risk Drinkers Research Articles

Preference weights for the spectrum of alcohol use in the U.S. Population

BackgroundLittle is known about the cost-utility of population-based alcohol interventions. One barrier to research has been the lack of preference weights needed to calculate Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs). Preference weights can be estimated from measures of health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The objective of this study was to describe preference weights for the full spectrum of alcohol use. MethodsThis cross-sectional study included participants in both the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS; 1999–2002) and the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS; 2000–2003). The AUDIT-C alcohol screen was derived from NHIS with scores categorized into 6 groups (0,1–3, 4–5, 6–7, 8–9, 10–12 points), ranging from nondrinking (0) to very severe unhealthy alcohol use (10–12). AUDIT-C scores were mapped to EQ-5D and SF-6D preference weights using the linked datasets and analyses adjusted for demographics. ResultsAmong 17,440 participants, mean EQ-5D and SF-6D preference weights were 0.82 (95% CI 0.82–0.83) and 0.79 (95% CI 0.79–0.80), respectively. Adjusted EQ-5D preference weights for nondrinking (0.80; 95% CI 0.79–0.81) and moderate unhealthy drinking (0.85; 95% CI 0.84–0.86) were significantly different from low-risk drinking (0.83; 95% CI 0.83–0.84), but no other differences were significant. Results for the SF-6D were similar. ConclusionsThis study provides EQ-5D and SF-6D preference weights for various alcohol use categories in a representative U.S. adult sample. However, neither measure suggested meaningful differences in HRQOL based on AUDIT-C categories. Self-reported alcohol consumption may not be associated with preference weights or generic instruments may not capture alcohol-related differences in HRQOL.

The effect of the PALMSS alcohol prevention program among high school students in a rural area of Thailand

Objectives: This study aimed to test the effects of alcohol prevention program, PALMSS (P = peer, A = alcohol knowledge, L = low-risk drinking, M = media-influence, S = social drinking and S = self-efficacy), on knowledge about alcohol among grade 11 students in Phayao province, where prevalence of alcohol consumption was high. Methods: A quasi-experiment was implemented in two high schools. One hundred fifty low-risk drinkers voluntarily participated in the program (Intervention, n = 75; Control, n = 75). Knowledge about alcohol was assessed four times: at baseline, exit point (4 weeks after baseline), 1 month, 3 month, and 6 months post-intervention. Data were analyzed using Chi-square, Mann–Whitney test, independent t-test, and repeated measures ANOVA. Results: After adjusting for GPA and peer drinking, there was a positive effect of the PALMSS alcohol prevention program on the increase of alcohol knowledge after implementing the program until at 6-month follow-up (F(1,146) = 199.11, p value = < 0.001). Conclusions: The PALMSS alcohol prevention program was more effective than the regular program provided by schools. Findings suggest that the PALMSS is suitable for teenagers and should be implemented in high schools in order to prevent excessive alcohol consumption in high school children.

The Effect of Childhood Supervisory Neglect on Emerging Adults’ Drinking

ABSTRACTThis study investigated the effect of childhood supervisory neglect on emerging adults’ drinking. Child supervisory neglect is the most common form of child maltreatment in the United States, but few studies explore supervisory neglect separate from other forms of maltreatment among emerging adults, 18–25 years old. The study sample included (n = 11,117) emerging adults, 18–25 years old who participated in Waves I and III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). We conducted separate analyses for male and female emerging adults, because they have different rates of alcohol consumption and alcohol risk behaviors. Our study used latent class analysis to understand how patterns of alcohol risk behaviors clustered together. For males, we found the following four classes: (1) multiple-risk drinkers, (2) moderate-risk drinkers, (3) binge-drinkers, and (4) low-risk drinkers or abstainers. For females, we found the following three classes: (1) multiple-risk drinkers, (2) moderate-risk drinkers, and (3) low-risk drinkers or abstainers. For both males and females, supervisory neglect increased the odds of membership in the multiple-risk drinkers’ class compared to the low-risk drinkers or abstainers’ class. Single males who did not live with their parents, and who were white had increased odds of being in the multiple-risk drinkers. For females, being more educated, or in a serious romantic relationship increased the odds of membership in the multiple-risk drinkers’ class. Practitioners should ask about histories of supervisory neglect among emerging adults who engage in alcohol risk behaviors.

Internet-Based Brief Intervention to Prevent Unhealthy Alcohol Use among Young Men: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

IntroductionAlcohol use is one of the leading modifiable morbidity and mortality risk factors among young adults.Study Design2 parallel-group randomized controlled trial with follow-up at 1 and 6 months.Setting/ParticipantsInternet based study in a general population sample of young men with low-risk drinking, recruited between June 2012 and February 2013.Intervention: Internet-based brief alcohol primary prevention intervention (IBI). The IBI aims at preventing an increase in alcohol use: it consists of normative feedback, feedback on consequences, calorific value alcohol, computed blood alcohol concentration, indication that the reported alcohol use is associated with no or limited risks for health. Intervention group participants received the IBI. Control group (CG) participants completed only an assessment.Main Outcome MeasuresAlcohol use (number of drinks per week), binge drinking prevalence. Analyses were conducted in 2014–2015.ResultsOf 4365 men invited to participate, 1633 did so; 896 reported low-risk drinking and were randomized (IBI: n = 451; CG: n = 445). At baseline, 1 and 6 months, the mean (SD) number of drinks/week was 2.4(2.2), 2.3(2.6), 2.5(3.0) for IBI, and 2.4(2.3), 2.8(3.7), 2.7(3.9) for CG. Binge drinking, absent at baseline, was reported by 14.4% (IBI) and 19.0% (CG) at 1 month and by 13.3% (IBI) and 13.0% (CG) at 6 months. At 1 month, beneficial intervention effects were observed on the number of drinks/week (p = 0.05). No significant differences were observed at 6 months.ConclusionWe found protective short term effects of a primary prevention IBI.Trial RegistrationControlled-Trials.com ISRCTN55991918

Unhealthy alcohol use in older adults: Association with readmissions and emergency department use in the 30 days after hospital discharge

BackgroundUnhealthy alcohol use could impair recovery of older patients after medical or surgical hospitalizations. However, no prior research has evaluated whether older patients who screen positive for unhealthy alcohol use are at increased risk of readmissions or emergency department (ED) visits within 30 days after discharge. This study examined the association between AUDIT-C alcohol screening results and 30-day readmissions or ED visits. MethodsVeterans Affairs (VA) patients age 65 years or older, were eligible if they were hospitalized for a medical or surgical condition (2/1/2009–10/1/2011) and had an AUDIT-C score documented in their VA electronic medical record in the year before they were hospitalized. VA and Medicare data identified VA or non-VA index hospitalizations, readmissions, and ED visits. Primary analyses adjusted for demographics, comorbid conditions, and past-year health care utilization. ResultsAmong 579,330 hospitalized patients, 13.7% were readmitted and 12.0% visited an ED within 30 days of discharge. In primary analyses, high-risk drinking (n=7,167) and nondrinking (n=357,086) were associated with increased probability of readmission (13.8%, 95% CI 13.0–14.6%; and 14.2%, 95% CI 14.1–14.3%, respectively), relative to low-risk drinking (12.9%; 95% CI 12.7–13.0%). Only nondrinkers had increased risk for ED visits. ConclusionsAlcohol screening results indicating high-risk drinking that were available in medical records were modestly associated with risk for 30-day readmissions and were not associated with risk for ED visits.

Maternal Alcohol Consumption During the Perinatal and Early Parenting Period: A Longitudinal Analysis

Despite potential health risks for women and children, one in five women report alcohol use during pregnancy and a significant proportion of those who quit during pregnancy return to drinking post-delivery. This study seeks to understand the longitudinal patterns of alcohol consumption before, during pregnancy and post-delivery, and the role of maternal characteristics for purposes of informing prevention design. General growth mixture models were used to describe the average developmental patterns of maternal weekly drinking quantity at six time points, from preconception through child entering kindergarten, as well as heterogeneity in these patterns among 9100 mothers from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study representing the 2001 US national birth cohort. Four distinct classes of mothers were defined by their longitudinal alcohol consumption patterns: Low Probability Drinkers (50.3 %), Escalating Risk Drinkers (12.0 %), Escalating Low Risk Drinkers (27.4 %), and Early Parenting Quitters (10.2 %). Heterogeneous covariate associations were observed. For example, mothers who gave birth after age 36 were twice as likely to be Escalating Risk Drinkers and Escalating Low Risk Drinkers (vs Low Probability Drinkers), but not more likely to be Early Parenting Quitters, when compared to mothers who gave birth between the ages of 26 and 35. There is significant heterogeneity in maternal longitudinal alcohol use patterns during the perinatal period. Baseline maternal characteristics and behavior associated with these heterogeneous patterns provide valuable tools to identify potential risky drinkers during this critical time period and may be synthesized to tailor pre- and postnatal clinical counseling protocols.

Staying in the ‘sweet spot’: A resilience-based analysis of the lived experience of low-risk drinking and abstention among British youth

Objective: The aim of this study was to understand how and why young people drink less or not at all when with their peers. Understanding the subjective experiences of moderate or non-drinkers may help identify protective processes facilitating resilience to cultural norm and influences that encourage excessive alcohol consumption among young people.Design: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 moderate- or non-drinkers aged 17–25 years (13 young women) living in South East England. Interviews explored recent experiences of social situations and encounters that did or did not involve alcohol. Transcripts were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.Results: Analysis identified six conceptually coherent themes clustering within a superordinate theme of a healthy experience of moderate alcohol use or abstention: ‘the sweet spot’. These themes were: feeling good in the body, feeling like you can be who you are, feeling like you belong, making a free choice, enjoying the moment, and feeling safe and secure.Conclusions: This resilience-based analysis showed how non-drinking and moderate-drinking may be experienced as a positive and proactive choice. Understanding the subjective experiences of young people may aid development of specific, realistic interventions to promote moderate drinking and abstention among young people in drinking cultures.

Alcohol use in the military: associations with health and wellbeing.

BackgroundThis study assessed the extent to which alcohol consumption in a military group differed from the general population, and how alcohol affected the military group’s health and social functioning.MethodsA cross sectional survey of military personnel (n = 5311) collected self-reported data on alcohol use (AUDIT scale) and general health, role limitations because of physical health problems (role physical), and social functioning scores (SF36 subscales). Logistic regression was used to compare drinking behaviours between the military sample and a general population sample, using the categories risky drinkers (>2 units per day), low risk drinkers (≤2 standard drinks per day) and abstainers. Groups in the military sample with the highest levels of alcohol misuse (harmful drinking AUDIT ≥ 16, alcohol dependence AUDIT ≥ 20, and binge drinking) were also identified. Linear regression models were then used to assess the association between alcohol misuse and SF36 scores.ResultsThere were fewer risky drinkers in the military sample than in the general population sample. There were also fewer abstainers, but more people who drank at a lower risk level (≤2 standard drinks per day), than in a sample of the general population. Harmful drinking and alcohol dependence were most commonly observed in men, younger age groups, non-commissioned officers and lower ranks as well as reserve and ex-serving groups. Alcohol misuse was clearly associated with poorer general health scores, more role limitations because of physical health problems, and lower social functioning.ConclusionsAlthough risky drinking was lower in the military group than in the general population, drinking was associated with poorer health, more limitations because of physical health problems, and poorer social functioning in Defence members. These results highlight the potential benefits for Defence forces in reducing alcohol use among members, in both those groups identified at highest risk, and across the military workforce as a whole.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13011-015-0023-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Drinking Level, Drinking Pattern, and Twenty-Year Total Mortality Among Late-Life Drinkers.

Research on moderate drinking has focused on the average level of drinking. Recently, however, investigators have begun to consider the role of the pattern of drinking, particularly heavy episodic drinking, in mortality. The present study examined the combined roles of average drinking level (moderate vs. high) and drinking pattern (regular vs. heavy episodic) in 20-year total mortality among late-life drinkers. The sample comprised 1,121 adults ages 55-65 years. Alcohol consumption was assessed at baseline, and total mortality was indexed across 20 years. We used multiple logistic regression analyses controlling for a broad set of sociodemographic, behavioral, and health status covariates. Among individuals whose high level of drinking placed them at risk, a heavy episodic drinking pattern did not increase mortality odds compared with a regular drinking pattern. Conversely, among individuals who engage in a moderate level of drinking, prior findings showed that a heavy episodic drinking pattern did increase mortality risk compared with a regular drinking pattern. Correspondingly, a high compared with a moderate drinking level increased mortality risk among individuals maintaining a regular drinking pattern, but not among individuals engaging in a heavy episodic drinking pattern, whose pattern of consumption had already placed them at risk. Findings highlight that low-risk drinking requires that older adults drink low to moderate average levels of alcohol and avoid heavy episodic drinking. Heavy episodic drinking is frequent among late-middle-aged and older adults and needs to be addressed along with average consumption in understanding the health risks of late-life drinkers.

Drinking patterns of alcohol intoxicated adolescents in the emergency department: A latent class analysis

IntroductionThe increasing number of children and adolescents in need of emergency medical treatment following acute alcohol intoxication has been a major public health concern in Europe in recent years. However, little is known about drinking habits and associated risks in this population. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine drinking patterns and associated risks in adolescent emergency department patients following alcohol intoxication. The aim of this study is to establish a classification system for admitted adolescents MethodsLatent class analysis was used to identify subgroups of adolescents with distinct patterns of habitual drinking as defined by the quantity of consumed alcohol on a typical drinking occasion, frequency of binge drinking and drunkenness, alcohol-related problems, prior alcohol-related hospitalizations and alcohol-related risk behaviors. Subgroup characteristics were examined with regard to sociodemographics, other substance use and psychosocial problems using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and chi-square tests. ResultsA total of 316 adolescents aged 12–17 treated in 6 urban emergency departments in Germany were analyzed. Five classes of drinking patterns were identified: one class representing low-risk drinking (class 1 “low-risk” (61.2%)), two classes representing risky drinking (class 2 “moderate-risk” (5.7%) and class 3 “frequent drunk” (15.8%)), as well as two classes representing high-risk drinking (class 4 “alcohol-related problems” (11.4%) and class 5 “excessive drinking” (5.1%)). Membership of classes 4 and 5 was associated with the most severe psychosocial problems, especially with regard to aggressive-dissocial behaviors. The CRAFFT-d and brief RAPI screening tools allowed identifying the two risky drinking classes and two high-risk drinking classes. ConclusionsOur findings provide the first in-depth analysis of habitual drinking in this study population and may help practitioners to better tailor interventions to patients' needs by using the identified classes as a form of classification system for admitted adolescents.

Emotional reactions to alcohol-related words: Differences between low- and high-risk drinkers

Introduction: Research that has examined responses to alcohol-related words in drinkers has mostly linked such responses to memory, attentional, and perceptual bias. However, studies of emotional processing in alcoholics have not received much attention. The main goal of the present study was to identify the features and differences of emotional responses to alcohol-related words in low- and high-risk drinkers. MethodA total of 149 low-risk drinkers and 125 high-risk drinkers evaluated five alcohol-related words and 15 words from the Affective Norms for English Words in the dimensions of valence, arousal, and dominance using the Self-Assessment Manikin. ResultsThe results indicated that high-risk drinkers evaluated alcohol-related words as more appetitive and arousing. ConclusionThese results, together with findings in the attention and memory research literature, suggest that alcohol-related words can serve as conditioned cues in alcohol consumption.

Prayer or spiritual healing as adjuncts to conventional care: a cross sectional analysis of prevalence and characteristics of use among women

ObjectivesTo determine the prevalence and characteristics of users of prayer or spiritual healing among women.Design and settingThis cross sectional study was conducted as a part of the Australian Longitudinal Study...

Linked randomised controlled trials of face-to-face and electronic brief intervention methods to prevent alcohol related harm in young people aged 14-17 years presenting to Emergency Departments (SIPS junior).

BackgroundAlcohol is a major global threat to public health. Although the main burden of chronic alcohol-related disease is in adults, its foundations often lie in adolescence. Alcohol consumption and related harm increase steeply from the age of 12 until 20 years. Several trials focusing upon young people have reported significant positive effects of brief interventions on a range of alcohol consumption outcomes. A recent review of reviews also suggests that electronic brief interventions (eBIs) using internet and smartphone technologies may markedly reduce alcohol consumption compared with minimal or no intervention controls.Interventions that target non-drinking youth are known to delay the onset of drinking behaviours. Web based alcohol interventions for adolescents also demonstrate significantly greater reductions in consumption and harm among ‘high-risk’ drinkers; however changes in risk status at follow-up for non-drinkers or low-risk drinkers have not been assessed in controlled trials of brief alcohol interventions.Design and methodsThe study design comprises two linked randomised controlled trials to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of two intervention strategies compared with screening alone. One trial will focus on high-risk adolescent drinkers attending Emergency Departments (Eds) and the other will focus on those identified as low-risk drinkers or abstinent from alcohol but attending the same ED.Our primary (null) hypothesis is similar for both trials: Personalised Feedback and Brief Advice (PFBA) and Personalised Feedback plus electronic Brief Intervention (eBI) are no more effective than screening alone in alcohol consumed at 12 months after randomisation as measured by the Time-Line Follow-Back 28-day version. Our secondary (null) hypothesis relating to economics states that PFBA and eBI are no more cost-effective than screening alone.In total 1,500 participants will be recruited into the trials, 750 high-risk drinkers and 750 low-risk drinkers or abstainers. Participants will be randomised with equal probability, stratified by centre, to either a screening only control group or one of the two interventions: single session of PFBA or eBI. All participants will be eligible to receive treatment as usual in addition to any trial intervention. Individual participants will be followed up at 6 and 12 months after randomisation.DiscussionThe protocol represents an ambitious innovative programme of work addressing alcohol use in the adolescent population.Trial registrationISRCTN45300218. Registered 5th July 2014.

Consequences of Low Risk and Hazardous Alcohol Consumption among University Students in Australia and Implications for Health Promotion Interventions

Background: Hazardous alcohol consumption and associated harms are high among young uni- versity students. The university environment is conducive to excessive alcohol consumption with studies finding young university students to drink alcohol at higher levels than their non-university peers. Methods: A random sample of 18 - 24-year-old undergraduate, internal university students completed a survey (n = 2465) to investigate differences in self-reported personal, second-hand and witnessed alcohol-related harms, alcohol expectancies, pre-loading, and friends’ alcohol consumption between low risk and hazardous drinkers. Univariate and multivariate analyses are reported. Results: Almost 40% of students who had consumed alcohol in the past year reported drinking at hazardous levels. Univariate analyses found students who reported hazardous drinking reported significantly higher scores relating to experienced, second-hand, witnessed and academic problems compared to low risk drinkers. Hazardous drinkers were also more likely to pre-load, to drink at higher levels when pre-loading, have more friends who drank alcohol, have more friends who drank at hazardous levels and to score higher on alcohol expectancies. However both low risk and hazardous drinkers experienced a range of harms due to their own drinking including hangover (71.2%), unprotected sex (19.3%), regretted sex (16.8%) and drink-driving (17%). Looking after an intoxicated student (34.3%) and witnessing someone pass out (37.5%) were issues for all drinkers. Experienced alcohol related harms, academic problems, alcohol expectancies, close friends’ level of alcohol consumption, pre-loading in the last four weeks and level of consumption when pre-loading were predictors of hazardous drinking (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Young undergraduate university students are at risk of a range of academic, social, emotional and physical harms associated with their own and other students’ alcohol consumption. There is a need for integrated programs to address university drinking culture and effect positive changes.

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The precocity of alcohol abuse is a recurring problem, especially among university students. Alcoholis usually used as an alternative to stress, or as a stimulant for better socialization. Objective: This study aims to ascertain the level of risk in the consumption of alcohol and how the latter can affect or not the academic performance of the student. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive and quantitative study was conducted on a sample of one hundred and fifty (n = 150) college students from the state of Sao Paulo. Students were randomly selected among courses in various fields to participate in a self-administered anonymous questionnaire based on the AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test), under the supervision of the research team. The aim was to collect information about the academic performance of students from the start of the course and to identify those that have a harmful use of alcohol. Results: Through the survey, it was found that 79.33% of the participants had low-risk drinking, but 48% of respondents reported having academic difficulties, and / or to achieve the course activities. Our data suggest that even moderate or occasional drinkers may show higher rates of problems associated with drinking than heavy drinkers risk damaging themselves or dependents. Conclusion: Although the study was performed to evaluate the average alcohol consumption and academic performance of college, based on the information obtained, it is worth stressing the need for support from family and educational institutions, so that the young do not become prematurely dependent.

Alcohol use among a community-based sample of gay men: Correlates of high-risk use and implications for service provision.

International research has shown that gay, bisexual and other homosexually active men (hereafter 'gay men') report disproportionately higher rates of risky alcohol use and associated problems compared with heterosexual men. However, little is known about alcohol use among this population in Australia. This study aimed to examine rates of risky alcohol use among a community-based sample of gay men in Sydney and characteristics of men reporting high-risk alcohol use and adverse consequences. A cross-sectional survey of gay men was conducted in Sydney in August 2013 as part of the ongoing Gay Community Periodic Surveys (n = 1546 eligible respondents). The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption questions were used to assess alcohol use in the previous 12 months. Nine percent of respondents were categorised as abstinent from alcohol, 33% as low-risk drinkers, 42% as moderate-risk drinkers and 16% as high-risk drinkers. In separate multivariate logistic regression analyses, high-risk drinking and reporting ≥4 adverse alcohol consequences were associated with younger age, being Australian-born, recruitment from licensed premises and having met men for sex at gay bars and dance parties. Fifty-eight percent of high-risk drinkers reported a desire to reduce their alcohol use. In this community-based sample of gay men, we found high levels of moderate- to high-risk alcohol use. The results suggest that gay men should be a priority population for health promotion campaigns and treatment services.

A snapshot of the hepatic transcriptome: ad libitum alcohol intake suppresses expression of cholesterol synthesis genes in alcohol-preferring (P) rats.

Research is uncovering the genetic and biochemical effects of consuming large quantities of alcohol. One prime example is the J- or U-shaped relationship between the levels of alcohol consumption and the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Moderate alcohol consumption in humans (about 30 g ethanol/d) is associated with reduced risk of coronary heart disease, while abstinence and heavier alcohol intake is linked to increased risk. However, the hepatic consequences of moderate alcohol drinking are largely unknown. Previous data from alcohol-preferring (P) rats showed that chronic consumption does not produce significant hepatic steatosis in this well-established model. Therefore, free-choice alcohol drinking in P rats may mimic low risk or nonhazardous drinking in humans, and chronic exposure in P animals can illuminate the molecular underpinnings of free-choice drinking in the liver. To address this gap, we captured the global, steady-state liver transcriptome following a 23 week free-choice, moderate alcohol consumption regimen (∼7.43 g ethanol/kg/day) in inbred alcohol-preferring (iP10a) rats. Chronic consumption led to down-regulation of nine genes in the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway, including HMG-CoA reductase, the rate-limiting step for cholesterol synthesis. These findings corroborate our phenotypic analyses, which indicate that this paradigm produced animals whose hepatic triglyceride levels, cholesterol levels and liver histology were indistinguishable from controls. These findings explain, at least in part, the J- or U-shaped relationship between cardiovascular risk and alcohol intake, and provide outstanding candidates for future studies aimed at understanding the mechanisms that underlie the salutary cardiovascular benefits of chronic low risk and nonhazardous alcohol intake.

Estudo transversal sobre o uso de risco de álcool em uma amostra de estudantes de uma universidade federal brasileira

Objetivo Avaliar o padrão de consumo de álcool entre estudantes de uma universidade federal brasileira que faz parte do Programa de Apoio a Planos de Reestruturação e Expansão das Universidades Federais (REUNI) e identificar os grupos mais expostos a problemas relacionados ao uso de álcool e fatores associados. Métodos Caracteriza-se como um estudo descritivo, quantitativo e de delineamento transversal no qual se aplicou um questionário de caracterização sociodemográfica e o The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) em 787 estudantes universitários de uma universidade federal brasileira. Resultados Entre os estudantes, 82,9% se enquadraram no grupo que faz consumo de baixo risco e 17,1%, no grupo que faz um consumo de risco. A análise de correspondência detectou que os estudantes do gênero masculino, os que não possuíam religião, que praticavam atividade física esporadicamente e que residiam em repúblicas se caracterizaram como pertencentes ao grupo de risco em relação ao consumo de álcool. Conclusões Os resultados indicam predominância de consumo de álcool de baixo risco entre os estudantes e sugerem uma relação entre consumo de álcool de maior risco e gênero masculino, não possuir religião, praticar atividade física esporadicamente e residir em repúblicas. Essas informações devem ser consideradas em programas preventivos no ambiente universitário.

Changes in drinking patterns in the first years after onset: a latent transition analysis of National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) data.

This study examined adult drinking patterns in the first year after onset and whether these patterns changed after 3 years. We also investigated whether specific demographic characteristics or DSM-IV alcohol use disorder symptoms were related to drinking transitions. Data from National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) were analyzed. "Newly onset alcohol users" (NOAUs; n = 854) were adults who initiated drinking in the year prior to Wave 1 (2001-2002) and who were followed-up at Wave 2 (2004-2005). Latent class models were estimated for 10 frequency-type drinking patterns at both waves. Latent transition analysis explored changes in drinking patterns from baseline to follow-up. Three drinker classes emerged at Wave 1: (a) low risk (41%); (b) sporadic hazardous (35%); and (c) regular hazardous (24%). One in 5 (18%) NOAUs stopped drinking by Wave 2 and were assigned to an "abstainer" class. The transition probability into the "abstainer" class was highest for the Wave 1 low risk drinkers (86%). The remaining NOAUs (82%) continued to drink at Wave 2. Of these, 70% of regular hazardous drinkers at Wave 1 maintained this drinking pattern at Wave 2, with approximately 30% reducing their pattern of drinking. One third of sporadic hazardous drinkers at Wave 1 remained at this level of drinking at Wave 2; the remainder escalated the drinking. Tolerance, larger/longer, cut down/quit and withdrawal were common among regular hazardous drinkers. Adult drinkers who engage in a low frequency and quantity drinking pattern are most likely to stop drinking soon after onset. Drinking patterns adopted in the first year after onset were indicative of drinking involvement 3 years later.

Impact of minimum price per unit of alcohol on patients with liver disease in the UK

The slow epidemic of liver disease in the UK over the past 30 years is a result of increased consumption of strong cheap alcohol. When we examined alcohol consumption in 404 subjects with a range of liver disease, we confirmed that patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis drank huge amounts of cheap alcohol, with a mean weekly consumption of 146 units in men and 142 in women at a median price of 33p/unit compared with £1.10 for low-risk drinkers. For the patients in our study, the impact of a minimum unit price of 50p/unit on spending on alcohol would be 200 times higher for patients with liver disease who were drinking at harmful levels than for low-risk drinkers. As a health policy, a minimum unit price for alcohol is exquisitely targeted at the heaviest drinkers, for whom the impact of alcohol-related illness is most devastating.