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Self-reported alcohol intake using two different question formats in southeastern New England
D R Parker1, C A Derby, D W Usner
1Division of Health Education, Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island, Pawtucket 02860, USA.
International Journal of Epidemiology
|August 1, 1996
Summary
A simple survey question effectively identifies non-drinkers and high-volume alcohol consumers. This method provides a useful qualitative measure when quantitative alcohol intake data is unavailable in population studies.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Quantitative alcohol intake data is often missing in population health surveys.
- Accurate assessment of alcohol consumption is crucial for epidemiological research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a simple survey question as a surrogate marker for alcohol intake.
- To compare alcohol consumption data from a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) with a dichotomous survey question.
Main Methods:
- A population-based sample of 755 men and 1164 women was analyzed.
- Alcohol intake was assessed using both an FFQ and a simple survey question.
- Agreement between methods was evaluated using Kappa statistics for different consumption levels.
Main Results:
- Excellent agreement (98.1%) was found for classifying non-drinkers.
- The simple question showed improved accuracy in identifying drinkers based on FFQ-reported quantity (Kappa: 0.08-0.81).
- Higher alcohol consumption levels demonstrated stronger agreement between the two assessment methods.
Conclusions:
- The survey question serves as a valuable tool for qualitatively categorizing non-drinkers.
- It effectively identifies individuals consuming more than one drink daily.
- This simple question is useful in population studies for adjusting data when alcohol intake is a confounder and quantitative data is lacking.