The Role of Paternal Drinking Problems in the Psychological Characteristics of High School Students / 가정의학회지

BACKGROUND: It has been reported that children with parental drinking problems are at increased risk of drinking problems or psychiatric diseases in adulthood. The present study was conducted to examine the psychiatric characteristics of high school students according to paternal drinking problems. METHODS: The subjects were 950 high school students (390 male and 560 female). The paternal drinking problems were assessed by using the Father-Short Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, Beck's depression inventory, and Beck's anxiety inventory were used to evaluate the drinking behavior, depression, and anxiety of high school students. RESULTS: While male students with paternal drinking problems showed significantly increased risk of anxiety (odds ratio [OR], 2.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05 to 4.63), female students with paternal drinking problems showed significantly increased risk of depression (OR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.24 to 2.74) according to the results of logistic regression analysis with adjustments for participants' age, whether they live together with parents, their religion, club activities, and smoking habits on the basis of students without paternal drinking problems. CONCLUSION: The above results suggest that paternal drinking problems lead to unstable mentalities in both male and female students, and that a family physician should address the mental state of teenagers with paternal drinking problems during clinical encounters.

Relationship between Alcohol Consumption and Metabolic Syndrome according to Facial Flushing in Korean Males / 가정의학회지

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study is to evaluate the risk of metabolic syndrome (MS) according to alcohol consumption for those subjects showing facial flushing, as well as the absence of facial flushing. METHODS: One thousand two hundred and one males were recruited in the health promotion center of a university hospital. Evaluation of alcohol consumption and facial flushing was assessed via questionnaires and interviews. The criteria for MS were defined according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria with a modified waist circumference cutoff value (men > or = 90 cm) for Korean subjects. Subjects were divided into three groups according to the amount of alcohol they consume: nondrinkers, moderate drinkers (14 standard drinks per week). They were also separated into two groups according to facial flushing: non-flushers (no occurrence) and flushers (steady occurrence). Factors related to MS were assessed by logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: In non-flushing moderate drinkers, the risk of MS did not significantly increase compared to non-drinkers. However in flushing moderate drinkers, there was significant increase (odds ratio [OR], 1.81; confidence interval [CI], 1.08 to 3.06) compared to non-drinkers. In non-flushing and flushing heavy drinkers, significant increase (OR, 2.23; CI, 1.23 to 4.04; OR, 2.90; CI, 1.25 to 6.73, respectively) was evident compared to non-drinkers. CONCLUSION: Non-flushing moderate drinkers did not show an increased risk of metabolic syndrome compared to the non-drinkers, but flushing moderate drinkers showed an increased risk of metabolic syndrome compared to non-drinkers.

Usefulness of Alcohol-screening Instruments in Detecting Problem Drinking among Elderly Male Drinkers / 가정의학회지

BACKGROUND: In Korea, few studies have been performed on screening instruments for the detection of at-risk drinking and alcohol use disorders in the elderly. This study evaluated the validity of three screening instruments in elderly male drinkers. METHODS: The subjects were 242 Korean men aged > or = 65 years. Face-to-face interviews were used to identify at-risk drinking and alcohol use disorders. At-risk drinking was defined according to the criteria for heavy or binge drinking of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Alcohol use disorder was diagnosed using the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV-text revision. The Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT), Short Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test-geriatric version (SMAST-G), and cut down, annoyed, guilty, eye-opener (CAGE) questionnaire were used as the alcohol-screening instruments. Based on the diagnostic interview results, sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of the instruments were compared. RESULTS: For identification of at-risk drinking, the AUDIT AUROC demonstrated greater diagnostic power than did those of SMAST-G and CAGE (both P or = 7 were 77.3% and 85.1%, respectively, whereas those for the alcohol use disorders with an AUDIT score > or = 11 were 91.3% and 90.8%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the AUDIT is the most effective tool in identifying problem drinkers among elderly male drinkers.

Usefulness of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test in Screening for Problem Drinkers among College Students / 가정의학회지

BACKGROUND: Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is effective in identifying problem drinking. This study purposed to evaluate the usefulness of AUDIT in identifying problem drinking among Korean university students whose drinking characteristic is different from adults. METHODS: The subjects were 235 students who had visited the Health Service Center of Chungnam National University. All subjects had a diagnostic interview for the presence of at-risk drinking and alcohol use disorder. At-risk drinking was defined according to the criteria of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Alcohol use disorder was diagnosed by the criteria of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV TR). At-risk drinking or alcohol use disorder was classified into problem drinking. At the same time, a survey was conducted using three screening tools: AUDIT, cut down, annoyed, guilty feelings, eye opener (CAGE), and cut down, under influence, guilty feelings, eye opener (CUGE). Area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of the questionnaires to the results of interviews were compared. RESULTS: Seventy one students were at-risk drinkers and 46 had alcohol use disorder, and 75 were classified into problem drinkers. For identification of problem drinking, AUROC of AUDIT was 0.970 in men and 0.989 in women. For CAGE, it was 0.650 in men and 0.747 in women. For CUGE, it was 0.689 in men and 0.745 in women. CONCLUSION: Above results suggest that AUDIT is most effective in identifying university students' problem drinking.