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Aims of this study are to examine (a) whether consumer knowledge about their health insurance coverage for alcohol-related services has changed over time and (b) whether racial, ethnic, and income disparities in known coverage have changed over time.This was a general population study comparing the 2015 and 2020 National Alcohol Surveys (Between 2015 and 2020, the prevalence of those reporting being insured without alcohol treatment coverage decreased (-2.8%,Results suggest some persistent disparities in known alcohol treatment coverage. They also suggest a need for both greater insurance coverage of alcohol-related services and greater efforts by employers, insurers, and practitioners to inform their constituents and increase knowledge about what alcohol-related services are available to them.

Event-related oscillations (EROs) may represent sensitive biomarkers or endophenotypes for disorders that underlie risk behaviors such as suicidal thoughts and actions. In this study, young adults of American Indian (AI) (n = 821) and Mexican American (MA) (n = 721) ancestry (age 18-30 yrs) were clinically assessed for internalizing and externalizing disorders, and an internalizing scale was generated by extracting core diagnostic items from 6 lifetime DSM5-compatible diagnoses (social phobia, panic disorder, agoraphobia, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, major depressive episode) and symptoms of suicidality. EROs were generated to sad, happy and neutral faces, and energy and phase locking of delta ERO oscillations were assessed in frontal areas. An increase in delta ERO energy was found in the frontal lead (FZ) following presentation of the sad facial expressions in those with a history of 10 or more internalizing symptoms compared to those with no symptoms. Increases in delta ERO energy in FZ were also associated with a diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD), but not with anxiety disorders or antisocial personality disorder/conduct disorders (ASP). Major depression was also associated with increases in cross-cortical phase-locking (FZ-PZ). A decrease in the percentage of correctly identified neutral faces also was seen among those with 10 or more internalizing symptoms compared to those without internalizing symptoms, and in those with anxiety disorders, but not in those with ASP or MDD as compared to their controls. These findings suggest ERO measures may represent important potential biomarkers of depressive disorders as well as risk indicators for suicidal behaviors.

To study the associations between perceived historical trauma, current traumatic events, diagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and suicidal behaviors in an American Indian community sample.Participants were American Indians recruited from reservations who were assessed with the Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism (SSAGA), as well as the Historical Loss Scale, Historical Loss Associated Symptoms Scale, and Stressful Life Events Scale.In data from 447 American Indian adults (mean age = 33 years), twenty percent reported lifetime experiences of suicidal thoughts (ideation and/or plans) and 14% reported suicidal acts, (including either a suicide attempt history or verified death by suicide (n = 4)). Diagnosis of PTSD and experience of assaultive trauma were each significantly associated with suicidal thoughts and acts, although assaultive trauma did not remain significant in models adjusting for gender and PTSD. High endorsement of symptoms associated with historical trauma was significantly associated with suicidal acts, and this remained significant when adjusting for gender and PTSD.PTSD and historical trauma have an association with suicide and suicidal attempts in this American Indian community. Although further research is needed to evaluate the causal nature of these relations, these findings suggest treatment and prevention programs for American Indian suicide may benefit from addressing issues related to feelings of historical losses, PTSD, and their associated symptomatology.

We investigated the substance-specific and cross-substance risk associated with early onset (before age 15) of drunkenness and cannabis use in the subsequent development of alcohol (AUD) and cannabis use disorder (CUD) in Mexican American young adults. Survival analyses employed Cox proportional hazards models for AUD and CUD, separately. In cross-risk analyses, we modeled estimates for those participants reporting lifetime use of

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Most studies validating the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) have either assessed its factor structure and/or test-retest reliability, or used diagnostic interviews as validators of current alcohol use disorders. The aim of the present study was to determine whether AUDIT and AUDIT-Consumption (AUDIT-C) scores are associated with subsequent risk of hospital admission for alcohol-related disorders and diseases (ARDDs).DESIGN: Historical cohort study. Using national registers, survey respondents were tracked from September 1, 2011 to hospitalization for an ARDD, emigration, death, or December 31, 2018, whichever occurred first SETTING: Denmark.PARTICIPANTS: Respondents (N=4,522) from a Danish national survey conducted in autumn 2011.MEASUREMENTS: Outcome was incident ARDD admission recorded in the National Patient Register. Predictors were AUDIT and AUDIT-C scores, and covariates were age, gender, highest level of education, and previous psychiatric disorder.FINDINGS: During the study period, 56 respondents had a first-time ARDD admission. Respondents who scored above the 8-point AUDIT cutoff and respondents who scored above the 5-point AUDIT-C cutoff had a significantly increased risk of being admitted for an ARDD compared with respondents who scored below the cutoffs, (AUDIT: hazard ratio (HR)=4.72, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.59-8.60; AUDIT-C: HR=7.97, 95% CI 3.66-17.31) CONCLUSIONS: Scores above Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and AUDIT-Consumption (AUDIT-C) cutoffs are associated with an increased risk of long-term alcohol-related hospital admissions. At widely-used cutoffs, the AUDIT-C is a better predictor of alcohol-related hospitalizations among members of the general population than the full AUDIT.

Study Objectives Although American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) have high suicide rates few studies have systematically investigated sleep quality and its association with suicidal behaviors in AI/AN. This study is a cross-sectional investigation of self-reported sleep quality and suicidal behaviors in an adult AI population. Methods A semi-structured interview was used to collect data on suicidal ideation, suicidal plans and suicidal attempts and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was collected to assess sleep quality American Indian adults. Results In this sample (n=477), 91 (19%) of the participants endorsed suicidal ideation (thoughts and plans), and 66 (14%) reported suicidal attempts, including 4 who subsequently died by suicide. More women reported suicidal thoughts or acts than men. Those endorsing suicidal thoughts slept fewer hours during the night, reported more nocturnal awakenings, and showed poorer subjective sleep quality according to PSQI total scores compared to those with no suicidal thoughts or acts. Participants with suicidal acts (n=66) reported more bad dreams and higher PSQI total scores compared to those with no suicidal thoughts or acts. When those with any suicidal thoughts or acts (n=157, 33%) were compared to those without, they were more likely to endorse nocturnal awakenings and bad dreams and demonstrated significantly higher PSQI total scores. Conclusions Although additional research is needed to evaluate sleep disturbances as a proximal, causal risk factor for suicidal behaviors in AI, findings highlight need for further study of sleep as a warning sign and intervention tool for suicide prevention among American Indian adults.

American Indians (AI) demonstrate the highest rates of both suicidal behaviors (SB) and alcohol use disorders (AUD) among all ethnic groups in the US. Rates of suicide and AUD vary substantially between tribal groups and across different geographical regions, underscoring a need to delineate more specific risk and resilience factors. Using data from over 740 AI living within eight contiguous reservations, we assessed genetic risk factors for SB by investigating: (1) possible genetic overlap with AUD, and (2) impacts of rare and low frequency genomic variants. Suicidal behaviors included lifetime history of suicidal thoughts and acts, including verified suicide deaths, scored using a ranking variable for the SB phenotype (range 0-4). We identified five loci significantly associated with SB and AUD, two of which are intergenic and three intronic on genesAACSP1,ANK1, andFBXO11. Nonsynonymous rare mutations in four genes includingSERPINF1(PEDF),ZNF30,CD34, andSLC5A9, and non-intronic rare mutations in genesOPRD1,HSD17B3and one lincRNA were significantly associated with SB. One identified pathway related to hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) regulation, whose 83 nonsynonymous rare variants on 10 genes were significantly linked to SB as well. Four additional genes, and two pathways related to vasopressin-regulated water metabolism and cellular hexose transport, also were strongly associated with SB. This study represents the first investigation of genetic factors for SB in an American Indian population that has high risk for suicide. Our study suggests that bivariate association analysis between comorbid disorders can increase statistical power; and rare variant analysis in a high-risk population enabled by whole-genome sequencing has the potential to identify novel genetic factors. Although such findings may be population specific, rare functional mutations relating to PEDF and HIF regulation align with past reports and suggest a biological mechanism for suicide risk and a potential therapeutic target for intervention.

OBJECTIVE: Self-reported alcohol consumption in U.S. public health surveys covers only 30%–60% of per capita alcohol sales, based on tax and shipment data. To estimate alcohol-attributable harms using alcohol-attributable fractions, accurate measures of total population consumption and the distribution of this drinking are needed. This study compared methodological approaches of adjusting self-reported survey data on alcohol consumption to better reflect sales and assessed the impact of these adjustments on the distribution of average daily consumption (ADC) levels and the number of alcohol-attributable deaths. METHOD: Prevalence estimates of ADC levels (i.e., low, medium, and high) among U.S. adults who responded to the 2011–2015 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS; N = 2,198,089) were estimated using six methods. BRFSS ADC estimates were adjusted using the National Alcohol Survey, per capita alcohol sales data (from the Alcohol Epidemiologic Data System), or both. Prevalence estimates for the six methods were used to estimate average annual alcohol-attributable deaths, using a population-attributable fraction approach. RESULTS: Self-reported ADC in the BRFSS accounted for 31.3% coverage of per capita alcohol sales without adjustments, 36.1% using indexed-BRFSS data, and 44.3% with National Alcohol Survey adjustments. Per capita sales adjustments decreased low ADC prevalence estimates and increased medium and high ADC prevalence estimates. Estimated alcohol-attributable deaths ranged from approximately 91,200 per year (BRFSS unadjusted; Method 1) to 125,200 per year (100% of per capita sales adjustment; Method 6). CONCLUSIONS: Adjusting ADC to reflect total U.S. alcohol consumption (e.g., adjusting to 73% of per capita sales) has implications for assessing the impact of excessive drinking on health outcomes, including alcohol-attributable death estimates.

Random-digit dialing (RDD) telephone surveys are challenged by declining response rates and increasing costs. Many surveys that were traditionally conducted via telephone are seeking cost-effective alternatives, such as address-based sampling (ABS) with self-administered web or mail questionnaires. At a fraction of the cost of both telephone and ABS surveys, opt-in web panels are an attractive alternative. The 2019–2020 National Alcohol Survey (NAS) employed three methods: (1) an RDD telephone survey (traditional NAS method); (2) an ABS push-to-web survey; and (3) an opt-in web panel. The study reported here evaluated differences in the three data-collection methods, which we will refer to as “mode effects,” on alcohol consumption and health topics. To evaluate mode effects, multivariate regression models were developed predicting these characteristics, and the presence of a mode effect on each outcome was determined by the significance of the three-level effect (RDD-telephone, ABS-web, opt-in web panel) in each model. Those results were then used to adjust for mode effects and produce a “telephone-equivalent” estimate for the ABS and panel data sources. The study found that ABS-web and RDD were similar for most estimates but exhibited differences for sensitive questions including getting drunk and experiencing depression. The opt-in web panel exhibited more differences between it and the other two survey modes. One notable example is the reporting of drinking alcohol at least 3–4 times per week, which was 21 percent for RDD-phone, 24 percent for ABS-web, and 34 percent for opt-in web panel. The regression model adjusts for mode effects, improving comparability with past surveys conducted by telephone; however, the models result in higher variance of the estimates. This method of adjusting for mode effects has broad applications to mode and sample transitions throughout the survey research industry.

Respondent-driven sampling (RDS) is an approach commonly used to recruit nonprobability samples of rare and hard-to-find populations. The purpose of this study was to explore the utility of phone- and web-based RDS methodology to sample sexual minority women (SMW) for participation in a telephone survey. Key features included (i) utilizing a national probability survey sample to select seeds; (ii) web-based recruitment with emailed coupons; and (iii) virtual processes for orienting, screening, and scheduling potential participants for computer-assisted telephone interviews. Rather than resulting in a large diverse sample of SMW, only a small group of randomly selected women completed the survey and agreed to recruit their peers, and very few women recruited even one participant. Only seeds from the most recent of two waves of the probability study generated new SMW recruits. Three RDS attempts to recruit SMW over several years and findings from brief qualitative interviews revealed four key challenges to successful phone- and web-based RDS with this population. First, population-based sampling precludes sampling based on participant characteristics that are often used in RDS. Second, methods that distance prospective participants from the research team may impede development of relationships, investment in the study, and motivation to participate. Third, recruitment for telephone surveys may be impeded by multiple burdens on seeds and recruits (e.g., survey length, understanding the study and RDS process). Finally, many seeds from a population-based sample may be needed, which is not generally feasible when working with a limited pool of potential seeds. This method may yield short recruitment chains, which would not meet key RDS assumptions for approximation of a probability sample. In conclusion, potential challenges to using RDS in studies with SMW, particularly those using virtual approaches, should be considered.

Background Population-based surveys document disparities in substance use among sexual minorities compared to heterosexuals, but few studies examine changes over time. This study compared changes in harmful drinking (including alcohol use disorders and high-intensity drinking), tobacco use, marijuana use, and simultaneous marijuana and alcohol co-use between heterosexual and sexual minority adults over a 15-year period. Methods Gender-stratified logistic regression analyses using 4 waves of cross-sectional data from the National Alcohol Survey (2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015) were conducted to test overall trends over time and differences by sexual identity, as well as the interaction between survey year and sexual identity. Results Among women, significant effects for sexual identity were present in all models, reflecting greater odds of use among sexual minorities across waves. Among men, significant effects for sexual identity were found for high-intensity drinking (reflecting less use among sexual minorities) as well as marijuana use and marijuana and alcohol co-use (reflecting more use among sexual minorities). For women and men, tobacco use generally decreased and both marijuana use and simultaneous marijuana and alcohol co-use increased during the study period. Although trends were largely driven by heterosexual respondents, only one instance of an interactive effect was found; reports of harmful drinking were generally stable over time among heterosexual women, but higher and more variable over time among sexual minority women. Conclusions Findings highlight that differences in patterns of substance use by sexual identity persist and underscore the need for screening, prevention, and intervention, particularly for sexual minority women.

Alcohol consumption and risky drinking behavior increased in the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, but it is not known if and for whom those changes were sustained over the longer term. This study analyzes longitudinal data on drinking patterns during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.A nationally representative longitudinal survey was used to assess alcohol consumption patterns among respondents 21 years and older who reported drinking between February and November 2020 (N = 557) overall and by subgroups.Compared with February, drinks per month in April and November 2020 significantly (P ≤ 0.01) increased by 36% and 38%, respectively. The proportion exceeding drinking guidelines significantly increased by 27% and 39%, and increases for binge drinking were 26% and 30% (both P = 0.01). February to November increases in proportion exceeding drinking guidelines were significantly larger for women (54% increase) than for men (32%), and for Black (508%) than for White respondents (16%). Drinks per month significantly increased more for respondents with children in the household (64%) than for those without children (20%). There also was a significantly larger increase in drinks per month for those who reported drinking to cope (57% increase) and those who reported drinking for enhancement (40%) than for those who did not.Self-reported alcohol consumption and risky drinking patterns increased during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Monitoring alcohol consumption changes, with a focus on marginalized groups, is warranted to plan behavioral health services and inform prevention for future pandemics.

Aims This study assessed contributions of exposure to neighborhood stressors (violent victimization, witnessing crime, greater alcohol and drug availability) to variation in alcohol use disorder (AUD) symptoms among drinkers in three cities in Texas, USA. Methods We used data from interviews conducted from 2011 to 2013 with Mexican-origin adults (ages 16–65) in the US-Mexico Study of Alcohol and Related Conditions who were past-year drinkers (N = 1960; 55% male) living in two cities in the Texas-Mexico border region (Laredo, n = 751 and Brownsville/McAllen, n = 814) and one interior comparison site (San Antonio, n = 771). Analyses (conducted in 2018 and 2019) examined overall and gender-stratified multilevel mediated effects of each border site (versus San Antonio) on AUD symptoms through the neighborhood-level factors, adjusting for individual- and neighborhood-level covariates. Results Overall, drinkers in Laredo reported more AUD symptoms than drinkers in the other cities, and their neighborhoods had more witnessing of crime and greater perceived drug availability, as well as higher levels of disadvantage and a lower proportion non-Hispanic White residents, than neighborhoods in San Antonio. Witnessing neighborhood crime was associated with increased AUD symptoms, while neighborhood disadvantage and proportion non-Hispanic White residents each were negatively associated with AUD symptoms. Perceived neighborhood insecurity, crime victimization, perceived neighborhood drug availability and neighborhood alcohol availability (off- and on-premise) were not significantly associated with AUD symptoms. Stratified models suggested possible gender differences in indirect effects through witnessing neighborhood crime. Conclusion Reducing witnessing of neighborhood crime may help reduce AUD symptoms among adults living in the US border region.

BACKGROUND: Policy support research identifies demographic profiles of those who support policies, but community organizers aim to mobilize groups with an existing structure. Thus, identifying established groups that support alcohol policies may aid organizing efforts. OBJECTIVE: This paper calculates prevalence and odds of policy support among three potential constituency groups (i.e., religious affiliation, persons harmed by others’ drinking, and persons in recovery from alcohol) for three policies: alcohol tax increases, banning alcohol in corner stores, and universal coverage for alcohol treatment. METHODS: Using the 2014–15 National Alcohol Survey (n = 3,444; 1,457 male, 1,987 female) and logistic regression, this study explores associations between constituency groups and policy support. RESULTS: Support was higher for the individual-level strategy of alcohol treatment (80.8%) than raising taxes (27.5%) and banning sales in corner stores (52.2%). Support for taxes was higher among persons who valued religion highly (vs not; aOR = 1.46, p < .01), persons harmed by others’ drinking (vs not; aOR = 1.71, p < .001), and persons in recovery (vs. not; aOR = 1.76, p = .02); Catholics had lower odds of support for taxes (vs no denomination; aOR = 0.63, p = .01). Persons who valued religion highly (aOR = 1.53, p < .001), Protestants (aOR = 1.63, p < .01), Catholics (aOR = 1.46, p = .03), and persons with other religious denominations (aOR = 2.17, p = .02) had higher odds of supporting bans in corner stores. Only those in recovery showed greater support for treatment (aOR = 3.20, p < .001). CONCLUSION: Overall, support was lower for population-wide approaches, but results revealed constituency groups that supported these policies. These groups may be allies to organizers who seek to reduce population-level alcohol consumption and harms.

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to examine how gender, age and education, regional prevalence of male and female risky drinking and country-level economic gender equality are associated with harms from other people’s drinking.Methods24,823 adults in 10 countries were surveyed about harms from drinking by people they know and strangers. Country-level economic gender equality and regional prevalence of risky drinking along with age and gender were entered as independent variables into three-level random intercept models predicting alcohol-related harm.FindingsAt the individual level, younger respondents were consistently more likely to report harms from others’ drinking, while, for women, higher education was associated with lower risk of harms from known drinkers but higher risk of harms from strangers. Regional rate of men’s risky drinking was associated with known and stranger harm, while regional-level women’s risky drinking was associated with harm from strangers. Gender equality was only associated with harms in models that did not include risky drinking.ConclusionsYouth and regional levels of men’s drinking were consistently associated with harm from others attributable to alcohol. Policies that decrease the risky drinking of men would be likely to reduce harms attributable to the drinking of others.

Aims Negative consequences of alcohol (or secondhand effects) extend beyond drinkers to affect other people, including both known others (friends, family members, spouses/partners) and strangers. Secondhand effects of alcohol manifest across various social environments, including the places where people drink and the neighborhoods where they live. These neighborhoods are characterized by different levels of alcohol availability and degrees of residential social cohesion. Hence, social environments may confer risk or protect from harms from others’ drinking. The current study explores: (a) how drinking venues and neighborhood contexts relate to harms from other people’s drinking (both known others and strangers), and (b) whether these associations vary by gender. Methods Using pooled data from the National Alcohol Survey and National Alcohol’s Harms to Others Survey (N = 5425), we regressed harms from various drinking others on social environment characteristics (drinking venues, alcohol availability and social cohesion) for the full sample and separately by gender. We used the false discovery rate method to adjust for multiple testing. Results Overall, greater neighborhood social cohesion was associated with lower odds of harm from drinking others and, specifically, harm from drinking strangers. The effect of social cohesion was most pronounced for men. Conclusions Social cohesion was the most salient neighborhood factor associated with reduced alcohol-related harms from strangers. Directions for future research and policies to mitigate these harms are discussed.

Introduction: This study explored whether structural stigma, defined by U.S. state policies related to sexual minority rights, moderated the relationship between sexual identity identity and heavy drinking, alcohol problems, and marijuana use among men and women. Methods: Using combined data from the National Alcohol Survey (NAS) series (2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015), the sample included 11,115 men (421 sexual minority and 10,694 heterosexual) and 14,395 women (413 sexual minority and 13,982 heterosexual). State policy environment was assessed using a time-varying dichotomous indicator of comprehensive protections for sexual minorities (4–6 protections vs. limited or no protections). Gender-stratified logistic regression analyses examined the differential effect of the policy environment by sexual identity on three past-year substance use outcomes: high-intensity drinking (8+ drinks/day), any DSM-5 alcohol use disorder, and marijuana use. Results: Among women, sexual minority status was associated with increased odds of all alcohol and marijuana use outcomes. Among men, sexual minority status was associated with decreased odds of high-intensity drinking but increased use of marijuana. Comprehensive policy protections were associated significantly decreased odds of high-intensity drinking among sexual minority men and marginally significant decreases among women. Conclusions: Comprehensive policy protections appear to be protective for high-intensity drinking among sexual minority men and women. Findings underscore the importance of supportive policies in reducing risk of alcohol-related problems among sexual minorities.

Purpose: Due to discrimination and stigma, sexual minority adults may be more likely than their heterosexual counterparts to experience harms from other people's drinking. We compared prevalence of second-hand alcohol harms for sexual minority and heterosexual adults in the United States. Methods: Data from the 2014–15 U.S. National Alcohol Survey (n = 5516; 10.2% sexual minority adults) were analyzed using logistic regression with survey weights to account for sampling and nonresponse. Multivariable models included simple main effects of sexual identity on the past-year harm outcomes, as well as interactions of drinker status with sexual identity. Results: In bivariate results stratified by sex, bisexual women were significantly more likely than heterosexual women to report all five types of harms. Lesbian respondents had greater odds relative to heterosexual women of reporting harm by a friend/coworker and assault or physical harm by a drinker. Bisexual identity among men was associated with greater odds of reporting assault/physical harm relative to heterosexual men in bivariate models. In adjusted models, differences by sexual identity were substantially reduced, with significance remaining only for friend/coworker-perpetrated harms and assault/physical harm among lesbian respondents compared with heterosexual women. For assault/physical harm, an interaction of sexual identity with the respondent's own drinking showed that the increased odds of harm associated with heavy drinking was even greater among sexual minority respondents (both bisexual and lesbian/gay respondents) than among heterosexual respondents. Conclusion: These findings underscore the importance of preventive interventions that consider disparities in risk for alcohol-related harms, particularly interpersonal violence, among sexual minority adults in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: Prior research has suggested that drug use rates may be high at the U.S.–Mexico border, but in more recent research rates varied significantly between border communities. This study reports findings on the mediating influence of neighborhood-level variables on the observed difference in past-year drug use rates between two border sites and an interior site, focusing on Mexican Americans. METHOD: Data were analyzed from the U.S.–Mexico Study on Alcohol and Related Conditions (UMSARC) on 1,345 Mexican-origin respondents ages 18–40 from the border sites of Laredo and Brownsville/McAllen compared with the nonborder site of San Antonio, separately for men and women. Neighborhood-level variables (based on census tracts and block groups) included drug availability, neighborhood insecurity, crime victimization, crime witnessing, off-premise alcohol outlet density, on-premise alcohol outlet density, percentage crossing the border more than 100 times, neighborhood disadvantage, residential stability, and percentage of White/non-Hispanic. RESULTS: When individual sociodemographic characteristics were controlled for, lower drug use among men in Brownsville/McAllen (vs. San Antonio) was partially mediated by lower drug availability and lower perceived neighborhood insecurity whereas increased drug use among women in both Laredo and Brownsville/McAllen was partially mediated by the lower proportion of White/non-Hispanic residents compared with San Antonio. CONCLUSIONS: Neighborhood-level variables partially explain the heterogeneity in drug use across sites at the U.S.–Mexico border, but different factors appear to be operating for men compared with women. These findings suggest the potential importance of addressing neighborhood factors in reducing drug-related harm at the U.S.–Mexico border.

Introduction Estimates of alcohol consumption in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System are generally lower than those in other surveys of U.S. adults. This study compares the estimates of adults’ drinking patterns and the distribution of drinks consumed by average daily alcohol consumption from 2 nationwide telephone surveys. Methods The 2014–2015 National Alcohol Survey (n=7,067) and the 2015 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (n=408,069) were used to assess alcohol consumption among adults (≥18 years), analyzed in 2019. The weighted prevalence of binge-level drinking and the distribution of drinks consumed by average daily alcohol consumption (low, medium, high) were assessed for the previous 12 months using the National Alcohol Survey and the previous 30 days using the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, stratified by respondents’ characteristics. Results The prevalence of binge-level drinking in a day was 26.1% for the National Alcohol Survey; the binge drinking prevalence was 17.4% for the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. The prevalence of high average daily alcohol consumption among current drinkers was 8.2% for the National Alcohol Survey, accounting for 51.0% of total drinks consumed, and 3.3% for the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, accounting for 27.7% of total drinks consumed. Conclusions National Alcohol Survey yearly prevalence estimates of binge-level drinking in a day and high average daily consumption were consistently greater than Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System monthly binge drinking and high average daily consumption prevalence estimates. When planning and evaluating prevention strategies, the impact of different survey designs and methods on estimates of excessive drinking and related harms is important to consider.

Background: Research suggests that marriage is protective against substance use. However, few studies have examined whether this protective effect differs for sexual minorities, a population at increased risk for substance use. Using data from four waves of the cross-sectional U.S. National Alcohol Survey (NAS; 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015), we investigated whether the protective effects of marriage varied by sexual identity. Methods: Sex-stratified logistic regression models were used to examine independent and interactive effects of current marital status (being married vs. not) and sexual minority status (lesbian/gay/bisexual vs. heterosexual) on high-intensity drinking, alcohol use disorder, and marijuana use in the past year. Results: Among both women and men, sexual minority status was generally associated with higher odds of these outcomes and marriage was consistently associated with lower odds. Differential effects of marriage by sexual identity with respect to marijuana use were found only among men; marriage was significantly associated with decreased odds of marijuana use among heterosexual men but increased odds among sexual minority men. Conclusions: Marriage may be less consistently protective against hazardous drinking and marijuana use among sexual minorities than heterosexuals. Findings underscore the importance of both quantitative and qualitative studies designed to better understand disparities in substance use across both sexual identity and relationship statuses.

Aims Alcohol policy effects on alcohol’s harms due to others’ drinking (AHTO) and contextual factors that may mediate such policy effects have been understudied. This study examines state binge drinking prevalence as a mediator of the relationship between state alcohol policy and socioeconomic environments and individual-level AHTO. Methods A nationally representative sample of US adults (N = 32,401; 13,873 males, 18,528 females) from the 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015 National Alcohol Surveys and the 2015 National Alcohol’s Harm to Others Survey, administered in telephone interviews and based on random digit dialed sampling, were linked with state-level Alcohol Policy Scale (APS) scores, binge drinking prevalence and socioeconomic status (SES) data. Three 12-month AHTO measures were family/marriage difficulties, assault or vandalism and riding with drunk driver or having traffic accident. Three-level mediation analyses were conducted, controlling for gender, race, education, marital status, family problem-drinking history and state policing rate. Results The effects of the APS on reduced risks for assault/vandalism and drinking-driving harms were significantly mediated by reduced state binge drinking prevalence. The APS had no direct or indirect effect on family/marital trouble. State SES had significant indirect effects on increased risks for assault/vandalism and driving-related harm through increased state binge drinking prevalence and a direct effect on reduced family/marital problems. Conclusions A more stringent alcohol policy environment could reduce assault/vandalism and driving-related harm due to another drinker by lowering state binge drinking rates. Alcohol policies may not be effective in reducing family problems caused by another drinker more prevalent in low-SES states.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Alcohol taxation and availability restrictions are among the most effective methods for reducing alcohol use and problems, yet may affect demographic subgroups differently. Understanding who responds to specific policies can inform approaches for reducing disparities. We examined how state-level beverage-specific taxes and availability restrictions in the United States are associated with consumption and alcohol-related problems across subgroups defined by gender and race/ethnicity. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS Data came from the 2000-15 National Alcohol Surveys (n = 28 251), computer-assisted telephone cross-sectional surveys of United States residents aged 18+. African Americans and Hispanics were oversampled. MEASUREMENTS Primary outcomes were beverage-specific (beer, wine, spirits and total) volume, DSM-IV alcohol dependence and alcohol-related consequences. Analyses entailed survey-weighted log-log and logistic regressions adjusting for state-level beer tax, spirits tax, government-controlled spirits sales and sales tax; respondent ZIP-code-level density of off-premise beer outlets, off-premise spirits outlets and on-premise bars; respondent individual-level age, marital status, education, employment and income; and fixed effects for wet/moderate/dry US region and year. FINDINGS Higher beer tax was significantly (P

OBJECTIVE: This study collected retrospective data on adolescent binge drinking (ABD) (5 drinks for boys, 4 for girls per occasion at least once per month) and/or extreme adolescent binge drinking (EABD) (10 or more drinks per occasion at least once per month) and tested for associations with demographic and diagnostics variables including alcohol and other substance use disorders (AUD/SUD). METHODS: Cross-sectional data were collected from young adult (age 18–30 yrs) American Indians (AI) (n=534) and Mexican Americans (MA) (n=704) using a semi-structured diagnostic instrument. RESULTS: Thirty percent (30%) of the sample reported ABD and 21% reported EABD. Those having had monthly ABD were more likely to be AI and have less education; those having had EABD were more likely to be AI, male, younger, have less education and lower economic status compared to participants without adolescent binge drinking. ABD/EABD was associated with higher impulsivity, a family history (FH) of AUD, and lower level of response to alcohol (ORs=1.0–2.0), as well as with adult AUD (OR=3.7–48), other substance use disorders (ORs=3.5–9), and conduct disorder/ antisocial personality disorder (ORs=2.0–2.6), but not with anxiety/depression. Monthly EABD further increased the odds of AUD/SUD. CONCLUSIONS: Although binge drinking was more common in AI compared to MA, there were little effects of race in individual risk factor analyses. Monthly ABD and EABD were common among these AI/MA as adolescents, and, as with other ethnic groups, these drinking patterns resulted in highly significant increases in the odds of developing alcohol and other substance use disorders in young adulthood.

To identify neighborhood factors associated with recovery outcomes for sober living house (SLH) residents.Six-month longitudinal data for new SLH residents (n = 557) was linked with census tract data, services available, alcohol outlets, and Walk Scores® (0-100 score indicating access to neighborhood resources) for 48 SLHs in 44 neighborhoods in Los Angeles County.Non-significant neighborhood characteristics in separate regressions for all outcomes were residents' ratings of perceived risk, percentage of residences with access to a car, percentage of homes over $500,000, percentage of renter-occupied units, percentage with income less than $25,000, percentage that were non-white, the density of substance inpatient within 10 miles, and transit scores from Walk Score®. Multilevel regressions found outpatient substance abuse treatment and density of AA groups were positively associated with more abstinent days. No neighborhood variables were associated with psychiatric symptoms. Higher perceived neighborhood cohesion, lower crime ratings, and better transportation ratings were associated with higher recovery capital.Greater neighborhood densities of substance abuse services and AA groups may help residents achieve more days abstinent. While residents may achieve better substance use outcomes even with negative perceptions of the neighborhood, positive perceptions of the neighborhoods may help them acquire more recovery capital.

AIMS: To assess whether associations between alcohol availability and consumption, drinking to drunkenness, and negative drinking consequences vary among individuals with elevated depressive symptoms. METHODS: 10,482 current drinkers in 2005–2015 National Alcohol Surveys (50.0% female; 74.4% White, 8.7% Black, 11.1% Hispanic). Elevated depressive symptoms was defined as having symptoms suggestive of major depressive disorder (above CES-D8/PHQ-2 cut-offs) versus no/sub-threshold symptoms (below cut-offs). Inverse probability of treatment weighted and covariate adjusted Poisson models with robust standard errors estimated associations of ZIP-code bar density and off-premise outlet density (locations/1,000 residents), elevated depressive symptoms, and their interaction with past-year volume consumed, monthly drinking to drunkenness, and negative drinking consequences. Models were then stratified by sex and race and ethnicity. RESULTS: Overall, 13.7% of respondents had elevated depressive symptoms. Regarding density, the only statistically significant association observed was between off-premise density and volume consumed (rate ratio = 1.3, 95% confidence interval = 1.0, 1.7). Elevated depressive symptoms were associated with higher volume consumed, prevalence of drinking to drunkenness, and prevalence of negative consequences when controlling for off-premise density or bar density. However, there was no evidence of interaction between symptoms and density in the full sample nor among subgroups. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that, while elevated depressive symptoms do not alter associations between alcohol availability and alcohol use and problems, they remain associated with these outcomes among past-year drinkers in a U.S. general population sample even when accounting for differential availability. Addressing depressive symptoms should be considered along with other policies to reduce population-level drinking and alcohol problems.

Differences in alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use by sexual identity vary across samples of women recruited using different sampling methods. We used propensity score (PS) weighting methods to address two methodological questions: (1) Do disparities between sexual minority women (SMW) and heterosexual women persist when differences in risk and protective factors are similarly distributed between groups, and (2) Does accounting for SMW-specific resiliency factors impact differences between non-probability samples of SMW?Four samples included SMW from a longitudinal study with a nonprobability sample (n = 373), a national general population panel sample (n = 373), and a national LGBTQ-specific panel sample (n = 311), as well as a national probability sample of heterosexual women (n = 446). Between-groups analyses using double-robust PS weighted models estimated differences in ATOD use under hypothetical conditions in which samples have similar risk and protective factors.After PS weighting, imbalance in confounders between SMW and heterosexual samples was substantially reduced, but not eliminated. In double-robust PS weighted models, SMW samples consistently had significantly greater odds of drug use than heterosexuals, with odds from 8.8 to 5.6 times greater for frequent marijuana use and 4.8-3.2 greater for other drug use. Few differences between SMW samples in ATOD outcomes or other variables remained after PS weighting.Relative to heterosexual women, disparities in marijuana and other drug use among SMW are evident regardless of sampling strategy. The results provide some reassurance about the validity of large nonprobability samples, which remain an important recruitment strategy in research with SMW.

BACKGROUND: Home is essential to recovery, and recovery housing can play an important role for individuals seeking a supportive environment. The National Study of Treatment and Addiction Recovery Residences (NSTARR) Project constitutes the largest and most diverse study of recovery housing to date. We describe the development of a national sampling frame to study recovery housing, as well as findings on availability and distribution of recovery housing across the U.S. METHODS: Data from publicly available sources and lists maintained by entities tracking recovery housing were compiled. Residences for which locating information was available were geocoded and linked with U.S. Census data and drug and alcohol mortality data. We used hot spot analysis and multilevel models to describe the geographic distribution of recovery residences and assess whether residences are located in areas of high need. RESULTS: The NSTARR database contains information on 10,358 residences operated by 3,628 providers in all 50 states. Residences were more likely (p < 0.05) to be in urban areas and in counties with higher substance use mortality; they were less likely to be in economically disadvantaged areas. Recovery housing density also was greater in urban areas and areas with a greater proportion of non-White residents, but lower in economically disadvantaged areas. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a wealth of research on some types of recovery housing, critical gaps in the field’s understanding about the nature of recovery housing remain. The NSTARR Project represents an important first step to expand research on recovery housing across the country.

Despite decades of education and enforcement campaigns, alcohol-impaired driving persists as a social problem in the U.S. Are there other factors influencing decisions to drive after alcohol consumption that may be amenable to change? We conducted a roadside survey in California in 2012 to assess whether residential accessibility, travel attitudes (indicated by ratings of convenience and safety for travel options), and perceptions of arrest risk affect travel choices made subsequent to alcohol consumption. We conducted hybrid choice modeling for 580 participants. Mode-specific travel attitudes were valid constructs and predictive of travel behavior. Perceived level of service (speed) increased the utility for taxi and getting a ride. Perceiving high risk of arrest affected mode choice through travel attitudes. Not everyone assessed their mode options in the same way. For example, frequent binge drinkers appear to be more willing to consider taxis, men had stronger preferences towards active modes, and younger drivers were less pro-driving in this context. Past drinking and driving behavior affected one’s attitude towards driving, while the number of drinks was related to mode choice. While our accessibility measure was not significantly related to attitudes or choice, decreasing urbanicity corresponded with stronger preferences for driving. This pilot study suggests that improving level of service (speed), convenience, and overall safety are considerations for public health in terms of promoting alternatives to drinking and driving. This line of research also has implications for emerging options, such as ride hailing, and how these might be optimized for specific segments of the population.

Family history (FH), informed by genetics and family environment, can be used by practitioners for risk prediction. This study compares the associations of FH with alcohol outcomes for medically underserved (MUS) men and women with the associations for non-underserved individuals to assess the utility of FH as a screening tool for this high-priority group. Data were from 29,993 adult lifetime drinkers in the Wave 1 (2001-2002) and Wave 2 (2004-2005) National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. All variables except FH were measured at Wave 2. Dependent variables were 12-month alcohol consumption and alcohol use disorder (AUD). FH scores (FH-SCORE) measured the proportion of first- and second-degree biological relatives with alcohol problems. MUS status was defined by household income at or below 100% of the federal poverty line and participants reporting no usual source of health care. Multivariate linear and logistic regression models tested main and interaction effects. Models showed a significant interaction of FH-SCORE with MUS status (p .01), with a stronger effect of FH on alcohol consumption for the MUS group. This moderating effect was weaker for women than for men (FH-SCORE x MUS x Sex three-way interaction: p .01). AUD models showed a significant positive association with FH-SCORE (p .001) but no association with MUS status and no significant interaction effects. In this sample of lifetime drinkers, FH was associated with higher alcohol consumption, especially for MUS men. These results encourage additional validation of FH scores to prioritize MUS adults at high risk for alcohol problems to receive preventive interventions.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine associations with high-intensity drinking (HID) in American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations and compare them to White and other minority groups using four National Alcohol Surveys, 2000 to 2015 (total N = 29,571; AI/ANs = 434). METHOD: Current drinking and HID (8+ and 12+ drinks on any day) from maximum drinks in the prior 12 months were analyzed with independent variables and race/ethnicity (AI/AN, non-Hispanic White, and other racial/ethnic groups combined). Adjusted logistic regression models comprised gender, age, marital status, employment, education, survey year, rurality, and especially, childhood trauma (physical/sexual abuse), and biological family alcohol problem history (each dichotomous). RESULTS: In adjusted population models, Whites had twice the odds of current drinking as AI/ANs, with no difference between other racial/ethnic groups and AI/ANs. Descriptively, AI/AN drinkers consumed at higher intensity levels than other groups, with higher prevalence of childhood trauma and family problem drinking than others. However, on a population basis, adjusting for all factors, apparent differences between AI/AN and White HID were eliminated; other minority groups together, compared with AI/ANs, showed lower odds of consuming 8+ drinks. CONCLUSIONS: AI/ANs had a higher prevalence of childhood trauma and family alcohol problems as well as lower current drinking likelihood compared with Whites. In adjusted population models, the combined other minorities group was less likely to ever consume 8+ drinks than AI/ANs. In all populations, childhood trauma and family alcohol problems increased the risk of HID, strongly so in AI/ANs. Addressing childhood trauma and family problems is important among AI/ANs to break generational cycles of drinking extreme amounts per occasion.

Objective: This review maps the research literature on register-based studies of alcohol’s harms to family members and identifies areas for future research. Method: Using a scoping review methodology, the PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO databases were searched in August 2019 with keywords to identify studies that included register-based outcome sources, a family relationship, and an exposure to heavy drinking. In total, 5,961 records were screened, 403 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility, and 91 studies were included in the final review. Results: Register-based research on alcohol’s harms to family members has largely drawn on hospital records to identify heavy drinkers and has primarily focused on children of heavy drinkers; 79 of the included studies solely investigated harms to children, whereas 2 focused on partners and 10 on multiple first-degree or unspecified relatives. Register-based studies show that children of heavy drinkers are at a higher risk for mental disorders, disease and injury hospitalizations, infant and child mortality, criminality, poor employment and educational outcomes, abuse/neglect, and placement in residential/ foster care, among other negative outcomes. Conclusions: A substantial body of register-based research shows that children of parents with the most severe alcohol problems are at an increased risk for numerous adverse experiences. Register-based studies have investigated diverse, yet precisely defined outcomes, using large samples followed over long periods, and have examined the contribution of genetic, biological, and environmental factors. Our understanding of alcohol’s harms to families could be enhanced by further register-based research on other household family members of heavy drinkers. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs, 82, 445–456, 2021).

Background Few longitudinal studies investigate predictors of substance use incidence among immigrants. The current study describes substance use disorders in immigrants to Sweden, focusing on drinking culture in the country of origin and socioeconomic status (SES), and how these intersect with generational status to influence risk. Methods Using pseudonymized Swedish population registry data, we track onset of alcohol use disorder and drug use disorder in a longitudinal study of 815,778 first-generation immigrants and 674,757 second-generation immigrants from 64 countries over a 6-year period. Cox regression analysis estimated risks of alcohol and drug use disorders in second-generation immigrants compared to first-generation, and moderation analyses assessed interactions of generational status with country-of-origin per capita alcohol consumption and SES. Results Immigrants and second-generation immigrants originating from countries with high levels of alcohol consumption had higher risks for alcohol and drug use disorders. Immigrants with high SES had lower risks for alcohol and drug use disorders. The interaction between generational status and country-of-origin alcohol consumption was significant for drug use disorder (not for alcohol use disorder), with drug use disorder risk for second-generation immigrants being highest for those from countries with the lowest level of country-of-origin per capita alcohol consumption. The interaction between generational status and SES was significant for alcohol use disorder, with low-SES second-generation immigrants showing markedly higher risk than first-generation immigrants with comparable SES. Conclusions Among immigrants in Sweden, second-generation immigrants are at increased risk of developing alcohol and drug use disorders, particularly if they have lower SES. Policy and community attention to these high-risk subgroups in immigrant communities is warranted.

To estimate longitudinal pathways from childhood socio-economic position (SEP) to educational attainment and mid-life heavy drinking in black Americans in order to identify potential points of early intervention to reduce risk for alcohol-related problems in adulthood.Data are from 1299 black Americans in the US National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, followed from 1979 (aged 15-19 years) to 2012. Given gender differences in factors related to education and alcohol outcomes, gender-stratified path models were analyzed.Youth socio-economic indicators included parental education (approximating childhood SEP) and adolescent poverty duration. Education-related measures included high-poverty school, perceived school safety, academic problems, suspension from school, educational expectations and educational attainment. Adulthood measures included repeated unemployment, poverty duration and mean frequency of heavy drinking (six or more drinks/day) in young adulthood and mid-life. Covariates included age, dual-parent household, marital status, early drinking onset and family history of alcohol problems.For both genders, two main pathways originating from low childhood SEP flowed to educational attainment through (1) educational expectations and (2) suspension and from educational attainment to mid-life heavy drinking [total indirect effect = 0.131, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.072-0.197 for women and 0.080, 95% CI = 0.035-0.139 for men]. For both genders, adolescent poverty (standardized βs ≥ 0.139), academic problems (βs ≥ 0.221) and school suspension (βs ≥ 0.166) were significantly (Ps 0.05) related to lower educational expectations. In adulthood, educational attainment was indirectly protective against mid-life heavy drinking through its significant effects (Ps 0.05) on young adult heavy drinking for both genders (βs ≤ -0.204) and economic hardships for women (βs ≤ -0.372).Low childhood socio-economic position among black Americans appears to be associated with subsequent, adverse socio-economic and school experiences that lead to lower educational attainment and, ultimately, greater heavy drinking at mid-life. Interventions that mitigate these earlier, adverse experiences might have indirect effects on mid-life heavy drinking.

Previous research suggests that genetic risk factors may predispose to conduct problems and alcohol use in adolescence. Whether genetic risk factors interact with social contexts has not been well characterized among African American adolescents. Data came from a subsample of the Genes, Environment, and Neighborhood Initiative study comprising 501 African American adolescents, including 151 lifetime drinkers (56% female, mean age = 16.3, SD = 1.4). Genetic risk was assessed with polygenic risk scores for alcohol dependence. Analyses explored interactions between genetic risk and self-reported alcohol use, conduct problems, life stressors, and other covariates. The effects of two gene-environment interactions (G × E) were tested in the sample of alcohol exposed adolescents; one on conduct problems and the other on alcohol use. There were significant associations between polygenic risk for alcohol dependence and conduct problems. A significant G × E interaction showed the impact of genetic risk on conduct problems was stronger under conditions of high exposure to family and neighborhood stressors. Among this sample of African American adolescents, genetic risk for alcohol dependence was not directly associated with alcohol use but was related to more conduct problems. Further, the effect of genetic risk interacted with stressors from the family and neighborhood, so that the effect of genetic risk on conduct problems was stronger for individuals who reported greater stressors.

BACKGROUND: Evidence about substance use and misuse among adults with disabilities is still emerging, despite increased risk of chronic pain and mental health problems, which are in turn risk factors for substance use and misuse. OBJECTIVE: We examined substance use and misuse among adults with selected self-reported disability (versus without), controlling for sociodemographics, depression/anxiety, physical health, and chronic pain, and assessed whether associations could be attributed to chronic pain. METHODS: Data are from the nationally representative 2020 US National Alcohol Survey. Disability indicators included sensory or mobility impairment, receiving Medicare before age 65, and/or unemployment due to disability. Regression analyses determined associations of disability with past-year substance use and misuse. Mediation analyses examined the role of chronic pain. RESULTS: Approximately 18% met 1+ disability criterion, representing 42.8 million adults. Disability was associated with reduced odds of current drinking (OR=0.77, p

Aims: Combined use of alcohol with drugs elevates risk for problems including injury and driving while intoxicated. We assessed contributions of heavy drinking (5+ drinks for men/4+ for women), drug use (cannabis and other drugs) and simultaneous co-use to DSM-5 alcohol use disorder (AUD) and drug abuse (DA). We expected co-use to increase risk for AUD and DA. Methods: Using population-weighted data from adults in the 2014–2015 National Alcohol Survey who had never been to treatment ( N = 3386 drinkers, 50% male, 13% Hispanic, 11% Black, mean age 45 years; N = 439 drug users, 56% male, 20% Hispanic, 15% Black, mean age 36), we tested hypotheses using logistic regression adjusting for demographics, family history of alcohol problems and impulsivity. Results: Ten percent of drinkers and 26% of drug users met criteria for mild AUD; Conclusion: Healthcare providers should screen for simultaneous co-use of alcohol and drugs to help identify patients who may benefit from substance abuse treatment.