Background: There is inadequate recognition of alcohol misuse as a public health issue in India. Information on screening measures is critical for prevention and early intervention efforts. This study critically evaluated the full and shorter versions of the AUDIT and RAPS4‐QF as screening measures for alcohol use disorders (AUDs) in a community sample of male drinkers in Goa, India. Methods: Data from male drinking respondents in a population study on alcohol use patterns and sexual risk behaviors in randomly selected rural and urban areas of North Goa are reported. Overall, 39% (n = 743) of the 1899 screened men, age 18 to 49, reported consuming alcohol in the last 12 months. These current drinkers were administered the screening measures as part of detailed interviews on drinking patterns and AUD symptoms. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis was conducted for each combination of screening measure and criterion (alcohol dependence or any AUD). Reliability and correlations among the 4 measures were also examined. Results: All 4 measures performed well with area under the curves of at least 0.79. The full screeners that included both drinking patterns and problem items (the AUDIT and the RAP4‐QF) performed better than their shorter versions (the AUDIT‐C and the RAPS4) in detecting AUDs. Performance of the AUDIT and RAPS4‐QF improved with lowered and raised thresholds, respectively, and alternate cut‐off scores are suggested. Scores on the full measures were significantly correlated (0.80). Reliability estimates for the AUDIT measures were higher than those for the RAPS4 measures. Conclusions: All measures were efficient at detecting AUDs. When screening for alcohol‐related problems among males in the general population in India, cut‐off scores for screeners may need to be adjusted. Selecting an appropriate screening measure and cut‐off score necessitates careful consideration of the screening context and resources available to confirm alcohol‐related diagnoses. 相似文献
Background: Twin and family studies have demonstrated that adolescent alcohol use and behavior problems are influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. More recently, studies have begun to investigate how genetic and environmental influences may interact, with efforts underway to identify specific environmental variables that moderate the expression of genetic predispositions. Previously, we have reported that community‐level factors, including urban/rural residency, migration rates, and prevalence of young adults, moderate the importance of genetic effects on alcohol use in late adolescence (ages 16 to 18). Here, we extend these findings to test for moderating effects of these socioregional factors on alcohol use and behavior problems assessed in a younger sample of adolescent Finnish twins. Methods: Using data from the population‐based Finnish twin study, FinnTwin12, biometric twin models were fit to data on >1,400 twin pairs to examine the significance of each of the socioregional moderating variables on alcohol use measured at age 14, and behavior problems, measured at age 12. Results: We find no evidence of a moderating role of these socioregional variables on alcohol use; however, there was significant moderation of genetic influences on behavior problems, with effects limited to girls. Genetic influences assumed greater importance in urban settings, communities with greater migration, and communities with a higher percentage of slightly older adolescents. Conclusions: The moderation effects observed on behavior problems in early adolescence paralleled the effects found on alcohol use late in adolescence in an independent sample, providing further support for the idea that behavior problems may represent an earlier manifestation of the predisposition to subsequent alcohol problems. Our findings also support the growing body of evidence suggesting that females may be more susceptible to a variety of environmental influences than males. 相似文献
The Problem Oriented Screening Instrument for Teenagers (POSIT) serves as a key aspect of the preliminary screening activities at the Hillsborough County Juvenile Assessment Center. We report on a reliability study of POSIT, involving an examination of the relationships between the youths’ initial and second admission POSIT results for different time intervals between administration of the instrument. The results indicate the POSIT provides consistent indication of potentially troubled youths who are in need of in-depth assessment and intervention or treatment services.Iniciado el POSIT el problema como instrumento para evaluar a los jovenes y sirve como una llave de aspecto protectora de actividades preliminares en el centro de evaluación de juveniles en el condado de Hillsborough. Reportamos en un estudio el POSIT digno de confianza incluyendo una investigación de las relaciones de los juveniles en los iniciados y las segundas admisiónes del POSIT resultaron para tiempo de intervención entre la administration y el instrumento. Los resultados indican que el POSIT proporciona una consistente indicación de jovenes que son potencialmente problematicos y quienes estan en la necesidad de evaluación y intervención o servicios de tratamiento.L'Instrument d'Évaluation des Problèmes d'Adolescents (POSIT) est un élément essentiel des activités préliminaires d'évaluation au Centre d'Evaluation des Jeunes dans le Comte de Hillsborough. Nous faisons ici le compte-rendu d'une étude sur la crédibilité du POSIT, comportant l'examen des rapports des résultats entre la première et la deuxième administration du POSIT, effectuées à intervalles differents. Les résultats montrent que le POSIT fournit de façon consistante l'indication de jeunes protentiellement perturbés, et qui ont besoin d'une évaluation approfondie ainsi que de service d'intervention ou de secours. 相似文献
Objectives. To identify factors related to alcohol use among Turks and Moroccans living in the Netherlands. Furthermore, to reveal methodological problems related to research among Turks and Moroccans in general and to alcohol research among these groups in particular.
Design. Individual face‐to‐face interviews were carried out with Dutch researchers (n=9), Turkish and Moroccan (health) practitioners working in the field with Turks (n=4) or Moroccans (n=2), and members of the target population with a Turkish (n=3) or a Moroccan background (n=2). Furthermore, focus‐group interviews were held with Turkish women (n=4), Turkish men (n=3), Moroccan women (n=4) and Moroccan men (n=3) working as health professionals.
Results. Alcohol use seems prevalent particularly among second‐generation Turks and Moroccans and is related to: upbringing, influence of peer groups, integration and the degree in which Islamic rules are practised. Written questionnaires seem more appropriate for second‐generation Turks and Moroccans, because they have fewer language problems and are more familiar with Western bureaucratic society. However, both generations may prefer face‐to‐face interviews since both groups fear that ‘written’ answers about the sensitive subject ‘alcohol use’ may somehow become known among community members. Similarly, an interviewer with a Dutch background may elicit more reliable answers about alcohol use than an interviewer with a Turkish or Moroccan background.
Conclusion. In alcohol research special attention should be paid to second‐generation Turks and Moroccans. Although it is probably easier to conduct alcohol studies in this group than in first‐generation Turks and Moroccans, quantitative research is needed to test the hypothesis that written questionnaires elicit more reliable answers about alcohol use than face‐to‐face interviews. Furthermore, the influence of ethnic matching on response and data quality should be tested further. 相似文献