Hingson Ralph, Zha Wenxing, Simons-Morton Bruce, White Aaron
Division of Epidemiology and Prevention Research , National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland.
Division of Intramural Population Health Research , Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, Rockville, Maryland.
Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2016 Apr;40(4):776-84. doi: 10.1111/acer.13010. Epub 2016 Mar 25.
Alcohol-related blackouts are periods of amnesia that reflect the failure of the brain to record memories of what transpires while drinking. This paper examined the incidence, predictors, and behavioral correlates of blackouts among emerging adults and examined whether questions about blackouts could serve as better markers of risk for other alcohol related harms than questions about levels of consumption.
In 2012 to 2013, 1,463 (68%) of 2,140 respondents 1-year past high school reported having consumed alcohol. They were asked whether, in the past 6 months because of drinking, they forgot where they were or what they did. The survey also explored demographics, substance use behaviors, and other alcohol-related problems in the past 6 months. Chi-square and logistic regression analyses explored bivariate and multivariate predictors of blackouts and other alcohol-related problems.
Twenty percent of respondents who ever drank alcohol reported a blackout in the past 6 months. Blackouts were more prevalent among females and those who, in the past 30 days, used multiple drugs, more frequently binged, were drunk, smoked, had lower body weight, and lived in college dorms. After controlling for drinking levels, having a blackout was the strongest independent predictor of most other alcohol problems examined, including in the past 6 months because of drinking, missing class or work, getting behind in work or school, doing something respondents later regretted, arguing with friends, experiencing an overdose, and total number of alcohol problems reported. It was also an independent predictor of hangovers, damaging property, getting hurt, and trouble with police.
Because blackouts indicate drinking at levels that result in significant cognitive and behavioral impairment, questions about blackouts could serve as important, simple screeners for the risk of experiencing other alcohol related harms. Additional work on this subject is warranted.
与酒精相关的记忆缺失是指失忆期，这反映出大脑无法记录饮酒时所发生事情的记忆。本文研究了青少年成人中记忆缺失的发生率、预测因素及行为相关性，并探讨了关于记忆缺失的问题是否比关于饮酒量的问题更能作为其他酒精相关危害风险的更好指标。
在2012年至2013年期间，2140名高中毕业后一年的受访者中有1463人（68%）报告曾饮酒。他们被问及在过去6个月里，是否因为饮酒而忘记自己身在何处或做了什么。该调查还探究了人口统计学特征、物质使用行为以及过去6个月里其他与酒精相关的问题。卡方检验和逻辑回归分析探究了记忆缺失及其他酒精相关问题的双变量和多变量预测因素。
曾饮酒的受访者中有20%报告在过去6个月里有过记忆缺失。记忆缺失在女性以及那些在过去30天内使用多种药物、更频繁暴饮、醉酒、吸烟、体重较低且居住在大学宿舍的人群中更为普遍。在控制饮酒量后，出现记忆缺失是所研究的大多数其他酒精相关问题的最强独立预测因素，包括在过去6个月里因为饮酒而缺课或旷工、学习或工作落后、做了后来令受访者后悔的事、与朋友争吵、过量用药以及报告的酒精相关问题总数。它也是宿醉、损坏财物、受伤以及与警方发生麻烦的独立预测因素。
由于记忆缺失表明饮酒量已达到导致显著认知和行为损害的程度，关于记忆缺失的问题可作为经历其他酒精相关危害风险的重要且简单的筛查工具。关于这一主题的更多研究很有必要。
