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