National Alcohol Survey (NAS)

Public Health Institute, Oakland CA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

COMPONENT 3. 2004/05 US NATIONAL ALCOHOL SURVEY (NAS11) (Years 1-4). The Center's NAS provides[unreadable] critically needed trend and current national findings by monitoring drinking patterns, alcohol-related problems,[unreadable] potential risk and protective variables, service use and community responses. NAS11 improves measurement of[unreadable] ethanol content using drink brand and size assessment based on the Center's ongoing Methodological Studies.[unreadable] Analyses will help delineate mechanisms by which particular drinking styles, interacting with predisposing and[unreadable] environmental factors, generate consequences, thereby advancing etiological knowledge. NAS11 builds on[unreadable] earlier work by deepening investigations and adding to predictive power in models of alcohol use disorders.[unreadable] This component analyzes NAS11 telephone survey data collected in current Center years 24-25 (expected[unreadable] n=10,000), part of the unique data series with equivalent measures at 5-year intervals since 1979. Like its[unreadable] predecessor NAS10, the survey samples a 50 state (plus DC) adult household population, with large[unreadable] over-samples of African-American and Hispanic respondents, expected to yield 2000 of each of these ethnic[unreadable] minorities. Low population states are over-sampled to enable multi-level analyses by state. Specific aims include:[unreadable] 1) to conduct trend analyses important to alcohol epidemiology in the general population and prioritized[unreadable] subgroups, using carefully validated methodologies and age-period-cohort (ARC) techniques to better understand[unreadable] 25-year trends; 2) to study alcohol-related health services, specifically, (a) help-seeking and use of mutual-aid[unreadable] (Alcoholics Anonymous), (b) racial disparities in treatment-seeking for alcohol problems, and (c) alcohol and drug[unreadable] use in relation to ER services; 3) to test hypotheses related to associations between interpersonal violence,[unreadable] particularly child and adult physical and sexual abuse, and past-year problematic drinking; and also 4) to test a[unreadable] number of hypotheses about special populations including race/gender groups, groups with varying sexual[unreadable] orientations, and emerging adults (defined as18 to 25). Lastly, 5) we will test hypotheses regarding drinking[unreadable] environments, especially bars and party contexts but also those in which gambling is involved, examining[unreadable] co-occurrence of alcohol and gambling problems. Analyses will take account of demographic influences on[unreadable] consumption and problems, predisposing variables, and a wide range of personal characteristics.[unreadable] Results will inform the country's prevention and treatment specialists, policy makers, and the public. They will[unreadable] be disseminated via publications, presentations and distillations of new findings, in conjunction with activities of[unreadable] the new Education Component 8.