Nutrient Intake Status of Korean Drinkers: Analysis of Data from Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), 2011

This study analyzed the dietary habits and nutrient intake status of adult drinkers in Korea. Alcohol drinking patterns were obtained from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Among 4,968 persons, 91.5% were drinkers. Classification of their drinking patterns by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) score showed 64.5% of the drinkers were normal drinkers, 22.4% problem drinkers and 13.2% alcohol-dependent drinkers. Overall, 47% of the drinkers were considered alcohol-dependent in the Rapid Alcohol Problems Screen (RAPS4). Significant differences were found between those who abstained from alcohol (86.8%) and alcohol-dependent drinkers (68.9%); when asked about breakfast habits 73.4% of non-drinkers often had family meals, while only 55.4% of the alcohol-dependent drinkers had family meals. Dietary energy, alcohol energy, and total energy intake significantly increased for the alcohol-dependents (P<0.001). In addition, the intake of eight nutrients (protein, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, niacin, calcium, phosphorous and iron), significantly increased in the following order (least to highest): abstainers, normal drinkers, drinkers with a moderate addiction to alcohol and alcohol-dependent drinkers (P<0.05). Nutrient Adequacy Ratios (NAR) of all nutrients, except vitamin C, and the Mean nutrient Adequacy Ratio (MAR) significantly increased in the following order (least to highest): abstainers, normal drinkers, drinkers with a moderate addiction to alcohol and alcohol-dependent drinkers (P<0.05). The intake of vitamin B1, vitamin B2, and niacin per 1,000 kcal, according to drinking pattern, decreased in the order of abstainers, normal drinkers, drinkers with a moderate addiction to alcohol, and alcohol-dependent drinkers (P<0.001). The above results show that the nutrient intake of normal drinkers, drinkers with a moderate addiction to alcohol, and alcohol-dependent drinkers are higher than abstainers. However, overall intake of vitamin B1, vitamin B2, and niacin per 1,000 kcal was low. Therefore it is necessary to increase vitamin B1, vitamin B2, and niacin intake for drinkers.

The usefulness of single question for problem drinker

BACKGROUND: Brief intervention with problem drinkers have been shown to be effective, but physicians often do not ask about alcohol use because of time constraints and lack of knowledge. If a sin gle question can be used to screening for problem drinker effectively, primary care physicians could detect problem drinker earlier and reduce future complication and morbidity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of single question. METHODS: One family medicine's resident interviewed 163 patients who visited Dongdaemun Hospital's Health care management center of Ewha Woman's university from January 27th 1999 to February 26th 1999, and the patients answered the written forms of questionnares. This written forms contained the followings: (1) age, sex, education, income level, occupation, smoking, drunken driving, (2) "On any single occasion during the past 3 months have you had more than a bottle of Soju or three bottles of beer or five glasses of whisky?" (3) CAGE, NAST test. Quantity of alcohol was determined by the calendar based review in the past 4 weeks. At risk drinker defined as drinking more than 56 g on one occasion, or more than 196 g of pure alcohol during a week for men ; more than 42 g on one occasion, or more than 98 g of pure alcohol during a week for women. Also alcohol use disorder was defined by the DSM IV criteria and problem drinker was defined as either at risk drinker or a alcohol use disorder. RESULTS: The single question had a positive predictive value of 82.2%, and negative predictive value of 95.5% with a sensitivity of 93.8% and a specificity of 86.9% for problem drinkers. CONCLUSION: A single question about alcohol use would be a effective tool for detecting problem drinker.