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Refining Measures of Alcohol Problems for General Population Surveys
Author(s) -
KarrikerJaffe Katherine J.,
Witbrodt Jane,
Greenfield Thomas K.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/acer.12627
Subject(s) - refining (metallurgy) , population , statistics , alcohol , mathematics , econometrics , medicine , environmental health , materials science , chemistry , metallurgy , biochemistry
Background There is a need to improve classification of alcohol use disorders ( AUD s) in general population surveys. We developed and tested follow‐up questions for 2 commonly reported symptom domains (withdrawal and larger/longer) to assess effects on D iagnostic and S tatistical M anual‐5 AUD classification. Methods Telephone interviews recontacted a selective follow‐up sample of respondents under age 46 from the 2010 N ational A lcohol S urvey with at least 1 lifetime AUD symptom ( n = 244). Items included detailed questions about past‐year AUD symptoms. Three items (vomiting, sweating, irritability) were recoded as acute intoxication rather than withdrawal if they most recently occurred within 8 hours of stopping drinking. The larger/longer criterion was recoded as socially motivated if respondents endorsed “got caught up in drinking with a group of friends” and not “feel compelled to drink and just can't stop” as a reason for drinking more than intended. Results Of 225 current drinkers, 11% reported past‐year withdrawal, with 28% of those reporting acute intoxication instead of physical withdrawal. Adjusting past‐year withdrawal classification reduced AUD prevalence by 6%. A minority (12%) reported the past‐year larger/longer criterion. Of those, 50% indicated social reasons for drinking more than intended, rather than compulsion to drink. Adjusting the past‐year larger/longer criterion reduced AUD prevalence by 8%. Accounting for both adjustments reduced AUD prevalence by 13%. Cases that met AUD criteria after both adjustments were substantially heavier drinkers than those that were reclassified. Conclusions Follow‐up items could be implemented in epidemiologic studies with minimal response burden and may help reduce misclassification of AUD .