Russell Marcia, Light John M, Gruenewald Paul J
Prevention Research Center, Berkeley, California 94704, USA.
Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2004 Jun;28(6):921-30. doi: 10.1097/01.alc.0000128238.62063.5a.
Data on risks and benefits associated with drinking patterns provide the scientific basis for moderate, low-risk drinking guidelines. Illustrated are methods to investigate and adjust for heterogeneity in relations between three-dimensional drinking patterns and 41 alcohol problems assessed among current regular drinkers in the 1988 National Health Interview Survey.
Three dimensions of mean drinking patterns, (i.e., usual quantities, heavy drinking rates (days of 5+ drinks/drinking days x 100), and drinking frequencies) were estimated in overlapping subsets of the population reporting each of the 41 problems, and mean usual quantities and heavy drinking rates were plotted against frequencies. Respondents were categorized into drinking problem groups associated with comparable mean drinking patterns; and main and interactive effects of age and sex on drinking patterns were examined by conducting three regression analyses within each group, with quantity, frequency, and heavy drinking rates as dependent variables, respectively.
Analyses revealed substantial heterogeneity in relations between drinking patterns and alcohol problems. Respondents having only minor problems drank on average two days a week, usually had 2.6 drinks, and drank heavily 12-13 days a year. Whereas, those having minor and severe problems drank an average of 3.5 days a week, usually had 4.7 drinks, and drank heavily 58 days a year. Within each problem group, usual quantity and frequency were higher among males than females, but the greatest gender differences were seen in heavy-drinking rates. Age-related differences in drinking patterns were striking. Usual quantity and heavy-drinking rates associated with problems decreased with age, whereas drinking frequency increased.
Findings demonstrated the importance of assessing and adjusting for heterogeneity in relations between drinking patterns and alcohol problems when aggregating and interpreting such data, (e.g., when assessing alcohol dependence criteria or evaluating guidelines for moderate drinking), and illustrated new methods for doing so.
与饮酒模式相关的风险和益处数据为适度、低风险饮酒指南提供了科学依据。本文阐述了在1988年全国健康访谈调查中，针对当前经常饮酒者的三维饮酒模式与41种酒精相关问题之间关系的异质性进行调查和调整的方法。
在报告41种问题中的每一种的人群重叠子集中，估计平均饮酒模式的三个维度（即通常饮酒量、重度饮酒率（每天饮用5杯及以上的天数/饮酒天数×100）和饮酒频率），并将平均通常饮酒量和重度饮酒率与频率进行绘图。将受访者分为与可比平均饮酒模式相关的饮酒问题组；通过在每组内进行三次回归分析，分别以饮酒量、频率和重度饮酒率作为因变量，研究年龄和性别对饮酒模式的主要和交互作用。
分析显示饮酒模式与酒精相关问题之间的关系存在显著异质性。仅有轻微问题的受访者平均每周饮酒两天，通常饮用2.6杯，每年重度饮酒12 - 13天。而有轻微和严重问题的受访者平均每周饮酒3.5天，通常饮用4.7杯，每年重度饮酒58天。在每个问题组中，男性的通常饮酒量和频率高于女性，但在重度饮酒率方面性别差异最大。饮酒模式的年龄相关差异显著。与问题相关的通常饮酒量和重度饮酒率随年龄下降，而饮酒频率增加。
研究结果表明，在汇总和解释此类数据时（例如在评估酒精依赖标准或评估适度饮酒指南时），评估和调整饮酒模式与酒精相关问题之间关系的异质性非常重要，并阐述了这样做的新方法。
