@article{ref1,
title="Screening for problem drinking: does a single question work?",
journal="Journal of family practice",
year="1998",
author="Taj, N. and Devera-Sales, A. and Vinson, D. C.",
volume="46",
number="4",
pages="328-335",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Brief interventions with problem drinkers have been shown to be effective, but physicians often do not ask about alcohol use. If a single question could effectively screen for problem drinking, it might facilitate intervention with problem drinkers. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was undertaken to address the clinical utility of the question, &quot;On any single occasion during the past 3 months, have you had more than 5 drinks containing alcohol?&quot; Placing it between questions about tobacco and seat-belt use, we presented the three questions in writing to 1435 patients; 95.3% answered them. With a systematic sample of 101 patients who answered yes and 99 who answered no, we administered the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test in writing followed by two gold-standard interview instruments: (1) a calendar-based review of drinking, with at-risk drinking defined as drinking more than 4 drinks on one occasion or more than 14 drinks per week for men, and more than 3 drinks on one occasion or 7 per week for women; and (2) the alcohol questions in the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, with alcohol-use disorders defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) criteria. We defined problem drinking as either at-risk drinking in the previous month or an alcohol-use disorder in the past 12 months. RESULTS: The single question had a positive predictive value of 74% and negative predictive value of 88% for problem drinking, with a sensitivity of 62% and a specificity of 93%. The question's utility was similar for detecting at-risk drinking and current alcohol-use disorders; it correctly identified all 29 patients who had both. CONCLUSIONS: A single question about alcohol can detect at-risk drinking and current alcohol-use disorders with clinically useful positive and negative predictive values.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0094-3509",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}