Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2014 Jan;46(1):10-6.
doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2013.07.015.

A new scale of the U.S. alcohol policy environment and its relationship to binge drinking

Timothy S Naimi  1 , Jason Blanchette  2 , Toben F Nelson  3 , Thien Nguyen  4 , Nadia Oussayef  5 , Timothy C Heeren  6 , Paul Gruenewald  7 , James Mosher  8 , Ziming Xuan  4
Affiliations
Comparative Study

A new scale of the U.S. alcohol policy environment and its relationship to binge drinking

Timothy S Naimi et al. Am J Prev Med. 2014 Jan.

Abstract

Background: Of outcomes related to excessive drinking, binge drinking accounts for approximately half of alcohol-attributable deaths, two thirds of years of potential life lost, and three fourths of economic costs. The extent to which the alcohol policy environment accounts for differences in binge drinking in U.S. states is unknown.

Purpose: The goal of the study was to describe the development of an Alcohol Policy Scale (APS) designed to measure the aggregate state-level alcohol policy environment in the U.S. and assess the relationship of APS scores to state-level adult binge drinking prevalence in U.S. states.

Methods: Policy efficacy and implementation ratings were developed with assistance from a panel of policy experts. Data on 29 policies in 50 states and Washington DC from 2000-2010 were collected from multiple sources and analyzed between January 2012 and January 2013. Five methods of aggregating policy data to calculate APS scores were explored; all but one was weighted for relative policy efficacy and/or implementation. Adult (aged ≥18 years) binge drinking prevalence data from 2001-2010 was obtained from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys. APS scores from a particular state-year were used to predict binge drinking prevalence during the following year.

Results: All methods of calculating APS scores were significantly correlated (r >0.50), and all APS scores were significantly inversely associated with adult binge drinking prevalence. Introducing efficacy and implementation ratings optimized goodness of fit in statistical models (e.g., unadjusted beta=-3.90, p<0.0001, R(2)=0.31).

Conclusions: The composite measure(s) of the alcohol policy environment have internal and construct validity. Higher APS scores (representing stronger policy environments) were associated with less adult binge drinking and accounted for a substantial proportion of the state-level variation in binge drinking among U.S. states.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Distribution of Alcohol Policy Scale scores, 2008
Figure 2
Figure 2
The Alcohol Policy Scale score for each state during 2008 and corresponding unadjusted adult binge drinking prevalence during 2009
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Babor T, Caetano R, Casswell S, et al. Alcohol: no ordinary commodity: research and public policy. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2010. 2010.
    1. Mokdad AH, Marks JS, Stroup DF, Gerberding JL. Actual causes of death in the U.S., 2000. JAMA. 2004;291(10):1238–1245. - PubMed
    1. Rehm J, Mathers C, Popova S, Thavorncharoensap M, Teerawattananon Y, Patra J. Global burden of disease and injury and economic cost attributable to alcohol use and alcohol-use disorders. Lancet. 2009;373(9682):2223–2233. - PubMed
    1. WHO. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO; 2011. Global status report on alcohol and health 2011. 2011.
    1. Bouchery EE, Harwood HJ, Sacks JJ, Simon CJ, Brewer RD. Economic costs of excessive alcohol consumption in the U.S., 2006. Am J Prev Med. 2011;41(5):516–524. - PubMed

Publication types