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. 2009 Sep-Oct;44(5):486-90.
doi: 10.1093/alcalc/agp031. Epub 2009 Aug 19.

Severity of baseline alcohol use as a moderator of brief interventions in the emergency department

Frederic C Blow  1 , Mark A Ilgen, Maureen A Walton, Ewa K Czyz, Ryan McCammon, Stephen T Chermack, Rebecca M Cunningham, Kristen L Barry
Affiliations

Severity of baseline alcohol use as a moderator of brief interventions in the emergency department

Frederic C Blow et al. Alcohol Alcohol. 2009 Sep-Oct.

Abstract

Aims: This study examines whether the severity of baseline alcohol consumption/consequences moderates the effect of an alcohol brief intervention (BI) in the emergency department (ED).

Methods: Injured patients (N = 494) were recruited from an ED, randomly assigned to receive brief advice or not and completed a 12-month follow-up interview.

Results: A significant interaction was found between severity of baseline alcohol consumption (i.e. average weekly, binge drinking) and receipt of a BI on alcohol consumption at 12 months. The form of this interaction indicates that the BI group tended to report lower alcohol consumption at follow-up than the untreated group especially in those who had reported high baseline consumption. Severity of alcohol consequences at baseline did not significantly impact the effect of the BI on 12-month outcomes.

Conclusion: ED patients with higher alcohol consumption benefit from BI. In some cases, the BI's effects may be enhanced for patients who are heavier drinkers, perhaps due to a greater opportunity to develop a discrepancy between current behavior and future goals.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
START patient flowchart.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Interaction between baseline average alcohol consumption and brief advice on 12-month average alcohol consumption outcomes.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Interaction between baseline frequency of binge drinking and brief advice on 12-month frequency of binge drinking outcomes.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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