The relationship between alcohol screening questionnaires and mortality among male veteran outpatients

J Stud Alcohol. 2001 Nov;62(6):826-33. doi: 10.15288/jsa.2001.62.826.

Abstract

Objective: This study evaluated whether responses to alcohol screening questionnaires predicted mortality in a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) primary care population.

Method: This study involved 5,703 male outpatients (mean age = 64) who were enrolled in General Internal Medicine clinics at three Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers and returned mailed questionnaires in 1993-94. The two questionnaires included the CAGE and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) alcohol screening tests. Mortality was ascertained using the VA Beneficiary Identification and Record Locator System. Five-year crude and adjusted mortality rates were calculated for patients who screened positive and patients who screened negative on each alcohol screening test.

Results: The risk of mortality was increased among drinkers who scored > or = 8 on the full AUDIT (hazard ratio: 1.47; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08-2.00) or the three AUDIT consumption questions (1.58; 1.11-2.27), after adjusting for age, smoking, sociodemographic characteristics and chronic illnesses. The risk of mortality was also increased among drinkers who reported drinking > or = 3 drinks daily (1.69; 1.28-2.22) or prior alcohol treatment (1.66; 1.27-2.17), in "fully adjusted" models. A positive CAGE score (> or = 2) was associated with significantly increased risk of mortality among drinkers in a model adjusted only for age and smoking (1.27; 1.02-1.58). Among nondrinkers, neither a positive CAGE score (> or = 2) nor report of prior alcohol treatment was associated with increased risk of mortality.

Conclusions: VA outpatients who reported drinking during the previous year and who had a positive result on an alcohol screening test experienced higher mortality over the subsequent 5 years than did patients who screened negative.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Alcohol Drinking / mortality*
  • Alcohol Drinking / therapy
  • Chi-Square Distribution
  • Confidence Intervals
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mass Screening* / methods
  • Mass Screening* / statistics & numerical data
  • Middle Aged
  • Outpatients* / psychology
  • Outpatients* / statistics & numerical data
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Regression Analysis
  • Surveys and Questionnaires*
  • Veterans* / psychology
  • Veterans* / statistics & numerical data