Division of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST, UK.
Alcohol Alcohol. 2010 Mar-Apr;45(2):128-35. doi: 10.1093/alcalc/agp096.
To compare baseline characteristics of clients initially preferring abstinence with those preferring non-abstinence at the screening stage of a randomized controlled trial of treatment for alcohol problems (UKATT) and to identify predictors of goal preference from client characteristics present before the preference was stated.
From discussions with clients entering the trial (N = 742), screeners noted whether clients were aiming for abstinence 'probably yes' or 'probably no'. Differences between the two groups thus formed were explored by univariate comparisons among client characteristics recorded at baseline assessment and by logistic regression analysis with pre-existing characteristics as independent variables.
Across all UKATT sites, 54.3% of clients expressed a preference for abstinence and 45.7% for non-abstinence. In univariate comparisons, clients preferring abstinence were significantly (P < 0.01) more likely to: (i) be female, (ii) be unemployed, (iii) report drinking more heavily but less frequently, (iv) have been detoxified in the 2 weeks prior to assessment, (v) report more alcohol problems, (vi) be in the action stage of change, (vii) report greater negative expectancies of drinking, (viii) report greater mental and physical ill-health, (ix) report less social support for drinking and (x) be more confident of their ability to resist heavy drinking in tempting situations. In the logistic regression model, the strongest predictors of goal preference were gender, drinking pattern, recent detoxification and social support for drinking.
The implications of these findings for service delivery are best considered in conjunction with findings from a companion paper reporting treatment outcomes associated with each goal preference.
比较随机对照试验（UKATT）治疗酒精问题筛选阶段最初选择戒酒和非戒酒的客户的基线特征，并确定在陈述目标偏好之前存在的客户特征预测目标偏好。
从参与试验的客户讨论中（N=742），筛查人员注意到客户是否“可能是”或“可能否”戒酒。通过在基线评估中记录的客户特征的单变量比较和使用现有特征作为自变量的逻辑回归分析，探讨由此形成的两组之间的差异。
在所有 UKATT 地点，54.3%的客户表示倾向于戒酒，45.7%的客户倾向于非戒酒。在单变量比较中，选择戒酒的客户更有可能（P < 0.01）：（i）女性，（ii）失业，（iii）报告饮酒量较大但频率较低，（iv）在评估前 2 周已戒毒，（v）报告更多的酒精问题，（vi）处于改变的行动阶段，（vii）报告更多的负面饮酒期望，（viii）报告更多的精神和身体不健康，（ix）报告较少的饮酒社交支持，（x）在诱人的情况下更有信心抵制豪饮。在逻辑回归模型中，目标偏好的最强预测因素是性别、饮酒模式、最近的戒毒和饮酒的社会支持。
这些发现对服务提供的影响最好与报告与每个目标偏好相关的治疗结果的伴生文件的发现一起考虑。
