TY - JOUR
T1 - Comparing the alcohol-related problems survey (ARPS) to traditional alcohol screening measures in elderly outpatients
AU - Fink, Arlene
AU - Tsai, Mark C.
AU - Hays, Ron D.
AU - Moore, Alison A.
AU - Morton, Sally C.
AU - Spritzer, Karen
AU - Beck, John C.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors are most grateful to all participating patients at the UCLA Medical Center and Sansum–Santa Barbara Medical Foundation Clinics. We are deeply indebted to Dr William F. Gebhart and Bonnie Parsons, R.N. for their assistance. This study was supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA: Contract #N44AA52009) and the John A. Hartford Foundation/American Federation for Aging Research Medical Student Geriatric Scholars Program (Mark Tsai).
PY - 2002
Y1 - 2002
N2 - Older drinkers may incur alcohol-related risks at low consumption levels, but commonly used screening measures do not address alcohol's effects among persons with declining health and increased medication use. We compared the newly developed Alcohol-Related Problems Survey (ARPS) to three validated alcohol screens: the Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener (CAGE), Short-Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (SMAST), and Alcohol-Use Identification Test (AUDIT). The ARPS classifies drinking as non-hazardous, hazardous or harmful. Non-hazardous drinking is defined as consumption with no known risks for adverse physical or psychological health events. Hazardous drinking is consumption with such risks. Harmful drinking results in adverse events. The AUDIT screens for hazardous and harmful drinking; the CAGE and SMAST identify abusive (e.g. failure to fulfill social obligations) and dependent (e.g. having withdrawal symptoms) drinkers. In this study of 574 current drinkers 65 years and older who completed the ARPS and AUDIT in primary care clinics, half were randomly assigned to complete the CAGE and half, the SMAST. Drinkers who screened positive on the CAGE, SMAST or AUDIT were correctly classified by the ARPS as hazardous or harmful drinkers 91,75, and 100% of the time, respectively. The majority of ARPS-identified hazardous or harmful drinkers did not screen positive on the CAGE, SMAST or AUDIT. These drinkers had medical conditions or used medications that placed them at risk for adverse health events, none of which was addressed in these three screens. In this study, the ARPS identified nearly all drinkers detected by the CAGE, SMAST, and AUDIT and detected hazardous and harmful drinkers not identified by these measures.
AB - Older drinkers may incur alcohol-related risks at low consumption levels, but commonly used screening measures do not address alcohol's effects among persons with declining health and increased medication use. We compared the newly developed Alcohol-Related Problems Survey (ARPS) to three validated alcohol screens: the Cut down, Annoyed, Guilty, Eye-opener (CAGE), Short-Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (SMAST), and Alcohol-Use Identification Test (AUDIT). The ARPS classifies drinking as non-hazardous, hazardous or harmful. Non-hazardous drinking is defined as consumption with no known risks for adverse physical or psychological health events. Hazardous drinking is consumption with such risks. Harmful drinking results in adverse events. The AUDIT screens for hazardous and harmful drinking; the CAGE and SMAST identify abusive (e.g. failure to fulfill social obligations) and dependent (e.g. having withdrawal symptoms) drinkers. In this study of 574 current drinkers 65 years and older who completed the ARPS and AUDIT in primary care clinics, half were randomly assigned to complete the CAGE and half, the SMAST. Drinkers who screened positive on the CAGE, SMAST or AUDIT were correctly classified by the ARPS as hazardous or harmful drinkers 91,75, and 100% of the time, respectively. The majority of ARPS-identified hazardous or harmful drinkers did not screen positive on the CAGE, SMAST or AUDIT. These drinkers had medical conditions or used medications that placed them at risk for adverse health events, none of which was addressed in these three screens. In this study, the ARPS identified nearly all drinkers detected by the CAGE, SMAST, and AUDIT and detected hazardous and harmful drinkers not identified by these measures.
KW - Age-related alcohol disorders
KW - Alcohol screening questionnaires
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U2 - 10.1016/S0167-4943(01)00198-4
DO - 10.1016/S0167-4943(01)00198-4
M3 - Article
C2 - 14764311
AN - SCOPUS:0036027902
SN - 0167-4943
VL - 34
SP - 55
EP - 78
JO - Archives of gerontology and geriatrics
JF - Archives of gerontology and geriatrics
IS - 1
ER -