The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #56881

Yu Ye, MA¹, Cheryl J. Cherpitel, DrPH¹, Jason Bond, PhD¹, and Guilherme Borges, ScD². (1) Alcohol Research Group, 2000 Hearst Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94709, 510 642-5208, yye@arg.org, (2) National Institute of Psychiatry, Calzada Mexico Xochimilco No. 101, Col. San Lorenzo Huipulco C.P. 10610, Mexcio DF, Mexico

The relationship of drinking-in-the-event variables with attributing a causal association of alcohol consumption and the injury event was examined using meta-analysis across12 ER studies from seven countries included in the Emergency Room Collaborative Alcohol Analysis Project. Pooled odds ratios for both log-transformed BAC at the time of an emergency room (ER) visit and the amount of alcohol consumed in the six hours prior to injury were significant, but modest (1.18 and 1.83, respectively) and heterogeneous across studies. Effect size did not change when gender, age and frequency of heavy drinking were controlled. Among 5+ drinkers, the amount consumed during the six hours prior to injury was significantly predictive of reporting a casual association of drinking and injury, while no association was found for non-5+ drinkers. Effect size of feeling drunk at the time of injury was significant (OR= 2.0), controlling for the amount consumed prior to injury. Meta-regression analysis found the level to which alcohol is consumed in a detrimental pattern a significant predictor of the effect size of BAC, the amount consumed, and feeling drunk at the time of injury on causal attribution, with the higher the detrimental pattern level the smaller the effect size. Findings suggest that the association of acute use of alcohol on causal attribution may be affected by chronic use to some extent, and this association is negatively affected by the degree to which a society exhibits harmful drinking patterns.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of this session the learner will have a better understanding of the causal attribution of alcohol to injury across a number of countries.

Keywords: Alcohol, Emergency Department/Room

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.