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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Ronda L. Dearing, PhD, Christopher Barrick, PhD, and Melissa C. Beattie, BA. Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, 1021 Main St., Buffalo, NY 14203, 716-887-2587, rdearing@ria.buffalo.edu

Participants responded to an advertisement recruiting "moderate to heavy drinkers" for a study of alcohol attitudes. To be eligible for the study, participants must not have been in alcohol or drug treatment (including self-help meetings) in the past year and must have a minimum score on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT; Saunders et al., 1993; 8 or above for men 65 and under, 7 or above for women and men over 65). These minimum AUDIT scores represent the recommended screening cutoffs for potential alcohol problems (Babor et al., 2001). The current sample size is 64 (data are anticipated to be available in November for 180 participants). Participants' average age is 35.8; 50.0% are male. Twenty-eight percent of participants indicated concern about their current drinking habits, and 17.2% indicated that they currently consider themselves to be a "problem drinker." Participants' average Alcohol Dependence Scale (ADS; Skinner & Horn, 1984) score was 9.3; scores of > 9 are considered predictive of an alcohol dependence diagnosis. Physical and psychological health characteristics of these individuals will be presented, as measured by the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form Health Survey (SF-36; Ware & Sherbourne, 1992) and the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI; Derogatis & Lazarus, 1994). Preliminary analyses demonstrated that higher scores on the ADS were related to poorer physical and emotional health as measured by the SF-36; ADS scores also correlated with all BSI subscales (all p values < .01). Implications of these results for primary care intervention will be discussed.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the physical and psychological characteristics that are seen in combination with moderate to heavy drinking.
• Discuss whether indicators of moderate to heavy alcohol use are cause for further investigation of potential physical and/or psychological problems in patients presenting for primary care appointments.
• Recognize that alcohol problems, and the accompanying mental and physical health concerns, may be a concern even when patients do not describe themselves as having an alcohol problem.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered

Handout (.pdf format, 122.8 kb)