Alcohol Use Categories Based on Patient Self-Report
| Category | Standard Definitiona | Study Definitionb |
|---|---|---|
| No alcohol consumption | Denies alcohol use on AUDIT-C and DSM-IV–based questions | |
| Moderate drinking | On 1 occasion drinking <4 drinks for a woman or <5 drinks for a man, and in a week drinking <8 drinks for a woman or <15 drinks for a man | Negative on both the AUDIT-C and the 2-question DSM-IV– based screen |
| Hazardousdrinkingc | On 1 occasion drinking >3 drinks for a woman or >4 drinks for a man, or in a week drinking >7 drinks for a woman or >14 drinks for a man | Positive AUDIT-C but negative on the 2-question DSM-IV–based screen |
| Harmfuldrinkingc | Alcohol use disorders, ie, alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence defined using DSM-IV criteria | Positive on the 2-question DSM-IV–based screen, with or without a positive AUDIT-C |
AUDIT-C = Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption; DSM-IV = Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV.
↵a From the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.39,40
↵b Based on patients’ responses to our screening instruments. See the Supplemental Appendix for the AUDIT-C scoring key.
↵c Alcohol problems defined as either hazardous or harmful drinking as identified on screening tests noted above.