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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2024 Jul-Aug:89:8-15.
doi: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2024.04.002. Epub 2024 Apr 4.

Prevalence of hazardous drinking and suspected alcohol dependence in Japanese primary care settings

Ryuhei So  1 , Kazuya Kariyama  2 , Shunsuke Oyamada  3 , Sachio Matsushita  4 , Hiroki Nishimura  5 , Yukio Tezuka  6 , Takashi Sunami  7 , Toshi A Furukawa  8 , Mitsuhiko Kawaguchi  9 , Haruhiko Kobashi  10 , Sohji Nishina  11 , Yuki Otsuka  12 , Yasushi Tsujimoto  13 , Yoshinori Horie  14 , Hitoshi Yoshiji  15 , Takefumi Yuzuriha  16 , Kazuhiro Nouso  2
Affiliations
Free article
Randomized Controlled Trial

Prevalence of hazardous drinking and suspected alcohol dependence in Japanese primary care settings

Ryuhei So et al. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2024 Jul-Aug.
Free article

Abstract

Objective: We aimed to assess the prevalence of hazardous drinking and potential alcohol dependence among Japanese primary care patients, and their readiness to change and awareness of others' concerns.

Methods: From July to August 2023, we conducted a multi-site cross-sectional study as a screening survey for participants in a cluster randomized controlled trial. The trial included outpatients aged 20-74 from primary care clinics. Using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) alongside a self-administered questionnaire, we evaluated the prevalence of hazardous drinking and suspected alcohol dependence, patients' readiness to change, and their awareness of others' concerns.

Results: Among the 1388 participants from 18 clinics, 22% (95% confidence interval (CI): 20% to 24%) were identified as engaging in hazardous drinking or suspected of being alcohol dependent. As the AUDIT scores increased, so did their readiness to change. However, only 22% (95%CI: 16% to 28%) of those with scores ranging from 8 to 14 reported that others, including physicians, had expressed concerns about their drinking during the past year. For those with scores of 15 or higher, the figure was 74%.

Conclusions: This study underscores the need for universal or high-risk alcohol screening and brief intervention in Japanese primary care settings. Trial registry UMIN-CTR (https://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/) (UMIN000051388).

Keywords: Alcohol dependence; Alcohol use disorders identification test; Hazardous drinking; Japan; Prevalence; Primary care; Public health.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest RS and HN were employees of CureApp, Inc. during the conduct of the study. RS reports grants from Osake-no-Kagaku Foundation, grants from The Mental Health Okamoto Memorial Foundation, grants from Kobayashi Magobe Memorial Medical Foundation, personal fees from Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Nippon Shinyaku Co., Ltd., Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., and Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd. outside the submitted work; In addition, RS has a patent JP2022049590A, US20220084673A1 pending, a patent JP2022178215A pending, a patent JP2022070086 pending, and a patent JP2023074128A pending. TAF reports personal fees from Boehringer-Ingelheim, Daiichi Sankyo, DT Axis, Kyoto University Original, Shionogi, SONY and UpToDate, and a grant from DT Axis and Shionogi, outside the submitted work; In addition, TAF has patents 2020–548,587 and 2022–082495 pending, and intellectual properties for Kokoro-app licensed to Mitsubishi-Tanabe. YH and HY report personal fees from Otsuka Pharmaceutical and Cure App Inc. outside the submitted work. SM has received a research grant from Asahi Quality & Innovations, Ltd. and has received speaker's honoraria from EA Pharma, Otsuka Pharmaceutical, Yoshitomi Yakuhin, Eisai, Nippon Shinyaku, Otsuka Pharmaceutical and MSD, and personal fees for coordinating a pivotal study from Cure App Inc. outside the submitted work within the past three years. YT reports personal fees from Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., MSD K.K. TY reports personal fees from Otsuka Pharmaceutical, Cure App Inc., and Nippon Shinyaku Co., Ltd. outside the submitted work. KN received personal fees for coordinating a pivotal study from Cure App Inc. outside the submitted work. Other authors report no conflict of interest.

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