Interrelationships among self-reported alcohol intake, physiological indices and alcoholism screening measures

The interrelationships among alcohol screening measures, self-reported drinking and laboratory markers of alcohol consumption were analyzed in a nonalcoholic sample. The results confirmed high interrelatedness among the MAST and two shorter versions derived from that scale. These measures showed little relationship to the CAGE, self-reported drinking and biochemical markers. Self-reported drinking and the CAGE, however, were significantly correlated with these markers. One difference by gender was noted in the correlation between the CAGE and self-reported drink, with a stronger association found in men. The importance for investigators of considering the characteristics of these measures in light of their specific research questions is emphasized.