Gender and Alcohol Use Disorders Diagnostic Criteria in Emergency Department Patients of Argentina

Background: Alcohol consumption and its related consequences are not equal for women and men, although related studies do not frequently include gender analysis. Objective: Our aim was to characterize differences in endorsement of ICD-10 and DSM 5 alcohol use disorder (AUD) criteria by gender in an Argentinean emergency department population. Methods: A probability sample of patients (N = 923) from the largest emergency department in the city of Mar del Plata, Argentina (44% were females, aged 16 to 86, M (SD) = 37.31(15.20) was collected. Using a structured questionnaire, diagnostic criteria for alcohol use disorders, alcohol consumption, and socio-demographic variables were obtained. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess differences in the endorsement of each diagnostic criterion by gender. Results: Women were less likely to endorse each of the criteria for each of the diagnostic schemes. Even after controlling alcohol consumption, socio-demographic variables, severity of alcohol use disorders and adjusting for multiple comparisons females had a lower probability than males of endorsing withdrawal and impaired control. Conclusions: gender differences in the endorsement of diagnostic criteria for both the DSM 5 and ICD-10 were found. Some differences in endorsement but not all, might be partially explained by alcohol consumption patterns and socio-demographic factors, and same remained after controlling severity of the AUD. Results also suggest a differential functioning of DSM 5 and ICD-10 AUD criteria for women and men.