Ethnicity and gender comparisons of health consequences in adults with alcohol dependence

Family history of substance problems among African Americans: Associations with drug use, drug use disorder, and prescription drug misuse

A family history of substance problems is a well-known risk factor for substance use and use disorders; however, much of this research has been conducted in studies with predominantly White subjects. The aim of this study was to examine the associations between family history density of substance problems and drug use, risk for drug use disorder, and prescription drug misuse in a sample of African American adults. Results indicate that family history density of substance problems increased the risk for all drug outcomes in the full sample. However, when subgroup analyses by gender were conducted, family history was not a risk factor among men for prescription drug misuse.

Interpersonal abuse and alcohol use among African American young women: the mediating role of emotion dysregulation

African American women experience a high prevalence of alcohol-related consequences, and no studies have explicitly examined the associations among lifetime interpersonal abuse, emotion dysregulation, and alcohol-related outcomes during the critical period of young adulthood within this population. This study used baseline data from a sample of African American young women (N = 560) who use alcohol, aged 18 to 24, enrolled in an HIV prevention intervention trial to examine whether emotion dysregulation mediated the relation between lifetime history of abuse and problematic alcohol use. Further, we sought to examine whether there were potential differential levels of problematic alcohol use based on the number of abuse types experienced. Multiple regression analyses showed that exposure to two or more forms of abuse was associated with problematic alcohol use, β = .24, p < .001, and heavy alcohol consumption, β = .23, p < .001, whereas history of a single form was not. Indirect effects of both single and multiple forms of abuse on problematic alcohol use (95% confidence interval [CI] [.16, 1.02]; [.46, 1.64]) and heavy alcohol consumption (95% CI [.02, .26]; [.05, .45]) via emotion dysregulation severity were found. Abuse and emotion dysregulation were associated with frequency of alcohol use and binge drinking, but not typical amount consumed. Hazardous alcohol consumption was prevalent among this sample of African American young women who use alcohol. This study provides preliminary evidence that emotion dysregulation may be an important mechanism buttressing the association between lifetime history of interpersonal abuse and problematic alcohol use among African American young women who use alcohol.

Substance Use Disorder Detection Rates Among Providers of General Medical Inpatients

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of substance use disorders is higher among medical inpatients than in the general population, placing inpatient providers in a prime position to detect these patients and intervene.

OBJECTIVE

To assess provider detection rates of substance use disorders among medical inpatients and to identify patient characteristics associated with detection.

DESIGN

Data drawn from a cluster randomized controlled trial that tested the effectiveness of three distinct implementation strategies for providers to screen patients for substance use disorders and deliver a brief intervention (Clinical Trials.gov : NCT01825057).

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 1076 patients receiving care from 13 general medical inpatient units in a large teaching hospital participated in this study.

MAIN MEASURES

Data sources included patient self-reported questionnaires, a diagnostic interview for substance use disorders, and patient medical records. Provider detection was determined by diagnoses documented in medical records.

KEY RESULTS

Provider detection rates were highest for nicotine use disorder (72.2%) and lowest for cannabis use disorder (26.4%). Detection of alcohol use disorder was more likely among male compared to female patients (OR (95% CI) = 4.0 (1.9, 4.8)). When compared to White patients, alcohol (OR (95% CI) = 0.4 (0.2, 0.6)) and opioid (OR (95% CI) = 0.2 (0.1, 0.7)) use disorders were less likely to be detected among Black patients, while alcohol (OR (95% CI) = 0.3 (0.0, 2.0)) and cocaine (OR (95% CI) = 0.3 (0.1, 0.9)) use disorders were less likely to be detected among Hispanic patients. Providers were more likely to detect nicotine, alcohol, opioid, and other drug use disorders among patients with higher addiction severity (OR (95% CI) = 1.20 (1.08-1.34), 1.62 (1.48, 1.78), 1.46 (1.07, 1.98), 1.38 (1.00, 1.90), respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings indicate patient characteristics, including gender, race, and addiction severity impact rates of provider detection. Instituting formal screening for all substances may increase provider detection and inform treatment decisions.

Recovery in Special Emphasis Populations

Special emphasis populations in the current context can be defined as groups experiencing health disparities resulting in elevated risk to health, safety, and well-being from drinking alcohol. Individuals from marginalized minority populations often encounter barriers to accessing and receiving effective alcohol treatment due to social inequities and disadvantaged life contexts, which also may adversely affect recovery from alcohol use disorder (AUD). Recovery from AUD often involves the adoption of a stable non-drinking lifestyle (sobriety), increased health and well-being, and increased social connection. Although there has been considerable work on AUD epidemiology among special emphasis populations, little research exists directly examining recovery among racial/ethnic minority populations and/or sexual and gender minority populations. The current narrative review hopes to spark scholarly interest in this critically neglected area. This article opens with a review of special emphasis populations and their alcohol-related risks. Next, definitions of recovery, Alcoholics Anonymous, and culturally adapted recovery models for racial/ethnic minority populations are explored. This is followed by a discussion of factors that may particularly influence recovery among marginalized minority populations. This narrative review concludes with a discussion of research priorities for promoting health equity through studies focused on understanding and supporting recovery from AUD among marginalized minority populations.

Racial/ethnic differences in the association between alcohol use and mortality among men living with HIV

BACKGROUND

Increasing alcohol use is associated with increased risk of mortality among patients living with HIV (PLWH). This association varies by race/ethnicity among general outpatients, but racial/ethnic variation has not been investigated among PLWH, among whom racial/ethnic minorities are disproportionately represented.

METHODS

VA electronic health record data from the Veterans Aging Cohort Study (2008-2012) were used to describe and compare mortality rates across race/ethnicity and levels of alcohol use defined by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) questionnaire. Within each racial/ethnic group, Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for age, disease severity, and comorbidities, compared mortality risk for moderate-risk (AUDIT-C = 4-7) and high-risk (AUDIT-C ≥ 8) relative to lower-risk (AUDIT-C = 1-3) alcohol use.

RESULTS

Mean follow-up time among black (n = 8518), Hispanic (n = 1353), and white (n = 7368) male PLWH with documented AUDIT-C screening (n = 17,239) was 4.3 years. Black PLWH had the highest mortality rate among patients reporting lower-risk alcohol use (2.9/100 person-years) relative to Hispanic and white PLWH (1.8 and 2.3, respectively) (p value for overall comparison = 0.011). Mortality risk was increased for patients reporting high-risk relative to lower-risk alcohol use in all racial/ethnic groups [black adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) = 1.36, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.12-1.66; Hispanic AHR = 2.18, 95% CI 1.30-3.64; and white AHR = 2.04, 95% CI 1.61-2.58]. For only white PLWH, mortality risk was increased for patients reporting moderate-relative to lower-risk alcohol use (black AHR = 1.09, 95% CI 0.93-1.27; Hispanic AHR = 1.36, 95% CI 0.89-2.09; white AHR = 1.51, 95% CI 1.28-1.77).

CONCLUSION

Among all PLWH, mortality risk was increased among patients reporting high-risk alcohol use across all racial/ethnic groups, but mortality risk was only increased among patients reporting moderate-risk relative to lower-risk alcohol use among white PLWH, and black patients appeared to have higher mortality risk relative to white patients at lower-risk levels of alcohol use. Findings of the present study further underscore the need to address unhealthy alcohol use among PLWH, and future research is needed to understand mechanisms underlying observed differences.

Elevated inflammation in association with alcohol abuse among Blacks but not Whites: results from the MIDUS biomarker study

Some studies document racial disparities in self-reported health associated with alcohol use and abuse. However, few studies examined biomarkers that underlie the onset of alcohol-related chronic diseases. We investigated whether the association between alcohol abuse and five biomarkers of inflammation (CRP, IL-6, fibrinogen, E-selectin, sICAM-1) vary between Black and White Americans aged 35 to 84 (n = 1173) from the Midlife in the United States Biomarker Study. Multivariable Ordinary Least Squares regressions were used to assess Black-White differences in the association between alcohol abuse and the biomarkers. Race moderated the association between alcohol abuse and CRP (b = 0.56, SE = 0.28, p = 0.048), IL-6 (b = 0.65, SE = 0.22, p = 0.004), and a composite inflammation score (b = 0.014, SE = 0.07, p = 0.041). These findings potentially shed light for why alcohol has a stronger negative association with poorer health for Blacks compared to Whites. Analysis should be replicated in larger prospective cohorts.

The association between alcohol abuse and neuroendocrine system dysregulation: Race differences in a National sample

Health outcomes, including chronic disease and mortality, attributed to or associated with alcohol abuse are discrepant between African Americans and Whites. To date, the topic is not fully understood and few studies conducted have used biomarker indicators of health. We investigated whether the association between alcohol abuse and biomarkers of the neuroendocrine system vary between black or African American and White respondents aged 34-84 from the Midlife in the United States Study (MIDUS) II (2004-2006) (n=1129). Alcohol abuse was assessed with a modified version of the Michigan Alcohol Screening Test. Ordinary least squared (OLS) regression was used to evaluate whether race moderated the associations between alcohol abuse and four biomarkers-urinary cortisol and serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), epinephrine and norepinephrine-and two composite summary scores, each consisting of two components that characterize the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA)-axis and sympathetic nervous systems (SNS), respectively. Covariates included age, sex, education, income, current drinking, smoking, exercise, fast food consumption, heart disease, blood pressure, diabetes, body mass index, medication use, anxiety/depression, sleep duration, and cholesterol markers. Race significantly moderated the associations between alcohol abuse and norepinephrine concentration (χ² [1]=4.48, p=0.034) and the SNS composite score (χ² [1]=5.83, p=0.016). Alcohol abuse was associated with higher mean norepinephrine levels (b=0.26, standard error (SE)=0.12, p=0.034) and SNS composite score (b=0.23, SE=0.11, p=0.016) for African Americans compared to Whites. Interestingly, for Whites a paradoxical association between alcohol abuse, norepinephrine and SNS levels was observed; those who abused alcohol had lower mean norepinephrine levels than non-abusers. Race differences in neuroendocrine response could be biological pathways that contribute the excess risk of chronic disease and mortality attributed to alcohol abuse among African Americans compared to Whites. Replication of these analyses in larger cohorts are warranted in addition to further studies of underlying mechanisms among Blacks and Whites separately.

Racial Disparities in the Association between Alcohol Use Disorders and Health in Black and White Women

Adverse health attributed to alcohol use disorders (AUD) is more pronounced among black than white women. We investigated whether socioeconomic status (education and income), health care factors (insurance, alcoholism treatment), or psychosocial stressors (stressful life events, racial discrimination, alcoholism stigma) could account for black-white differences in the association between AUD and physical and functional health among current women drinkers 25 years and older (N = 8,877) in the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Generalized linear regression tested how race interacted with the association between 12-month DSM-IV AUD in Wave 1 (2001-2002) and health in Wave 2 (2004-2005), adjusted for covariates (age group, alcohol consumption, smoking, body mass index, physical activity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and arthritis). Black women with AUD had poorer health than white women with AUD (β = -3.18, SE = 1.28, p < .05). This association was partially attenuated after adjusting for socioeconomic status, health care, and psychosocial factors (β = -2.64, SE = 1.27, p < .05). In race-specific analyses, AUD was associated with poorer health for black but not white women. Accounting for black-white differences in AUD and physical and functional health among women requires investigation beyond traditional explanatory mechanisms.

Racial/ethnic differences in initiation of and engagement with addictions treatment among patients with alcohol use disorders in the veterans health administration

OBJECTIVE

Specialty addictions treatment can improve outcomes for patients with alcohol use disorders (AUD). Thus, initiation of and engagement with specialty addictions treatment are considered quality care for patients with AUD. Previous studies have demonstrated racial/ethnic differences in alcohol-related care but whether differences exist in initiation of and engagement with specialty addictions treatment among patients with clinically recognized alcohol use disorders is unknown. We investigated racial/ethnic variation in initiation of and engagement with specialty addictions treatment in a national sample of Black, Hispanic, and White patients with clinically recognized alcohol use disorders (AUD) from the US Veterans Health Administration (VA).

METHODS

National VA data were extracted for all Black, Hispanic, and White patients with a diagnosed AUD during fiscal year 2012. Mixed effects regression models estimated the odds of two measures of initiation (an initial visit within 180days of diagnosis; and initiation defined consistent with Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) as a documented visit ≤14days after index visit or inpatient admission), and three established measures of treatment engagement (≥3 visits within first month after initiation; ≥2 visits in each of the first 3months after initiation; and ≥2 visits within 30days of HEDIS initiation) for Black and Hispanic relative to White patients after adjustment for facility- and patient-level characteristics.

RESULTS

Among 302,406 patients with AUD, 30% (90,879) initiated treatment within 180days of diagnosis (38% Black, 32% Hispanic, and 27% White). Black patients were more likely to initiate treatment than Whites for both measures of initiation [odds ratio (OR) for initiation: 1.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4-1.4; OR for HEDIS initiation: 1.1, 95% CI: 1.1-1.1]. Hispanic patients were more likely than White patients to initiate treatment within 180days (OR: 1.2, 95% CI 1.2-1.3) but HEDIS initiation did not differ between Hispanic and White patients. Engagement results varied depending on the measure but was more likely for Black patients relative to White for all measures (OR for engagement in first month: 1.1, 95% CI: 1.0-1.1; OR for engagement in first three months: 1.2, 95% CI: 1.1-1.2; OR for HEDIS measure: 1.1, 95% CI: 1.0-1.1), and did not differ between Hispanic and White patients.

CONCLUSIONS

After accounting for facility- and patient-level characteristics, Black and Hispanic patients with AUD were more likely than Whites to initiate specialty addictions treatment, and Black patients were more likely than Whites to engage. Research is needed to understand underlying mechanisms and whether differences in initiation of and engagement with care influence health outcomes.

Gender Differences in the Life Concerns of Persons Seeking Alcohol Detoxification

BACKGROUND

This study explored the life concerns of persons seeking alcohol detoxification, a group with multiple life and psychosocial challenges. Gender may be an important contributor to the particular life concerns of persons with alcohol use disorders.

METHODS

Using a 32-item, previously-validated life concerns survey that captures ten conceptual domains, we interviewed persons entering inpatient alcohol detoxification asking them to rate their level of concern about health and welfare items.

RESULTS

Participants (n=189) were 27% female, with a mean age of 43.5 years. Overall, concern about alcohol problems was perceived as the most serious, followed by mental health, cigarette smoking, financial, and relationship problems. Men were significantly more concerned than women about six of the ten domains including money, drug use, transmissible diseases, and physical illness.

CONCLUSIONS

Recognition of the daily worries of persons seeking inpatient alcohol detoxification persons could allow providers to better tailor their services to the context of their patients' lives. Focusing on pressing life concerns such as mental health, financial, relationship problems, and other drug use may influence detoxification services and aftercare treatment choices.

Lipids and Oxidative Stress Associated with Ethanol-Induced Neurological Damage

The excessive intake of alcohol is a serious public health problem, especially given the severe damage provoked by chronic or prenatal exposure to alcohol that affects many physiological processes, such as memory, motor function, and cognitive abilities. This damage is related to the ethanol oxidation in the brain. The metabolism of ethanol to acetaldehyde and then to acetate is associated with the production of reactive oxygen species that accentuate the oxidative state of cells. This metabolism of ethanol can induce the oxidation of the fatty acids in phospholipids, and the bioactive aldehydes produced are known to be associated with neurotoxicity and neurodegeneration. As such, here we will review the role of lipids in the neuronal damage induced by ethanol-related oxidative stress and the role that lipids play in the related compensatory or defense mechanisms.

The National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) Waves 1 and 2: review and summary of findings

PURPOSE

The NESARC, a "third-generation" psychiatric epidemiologic survey that integrated detailed measures of alcohol and drug use and problems has been the data source for over >850 publications. A comprehensive review of NESARC findings and their implications is lacking.

METHOD

NESARC was a survey of 43,093 participants that covered alcohol, drug and psychiatric disorders, risk factors, and consequences. Wave 1 of the NESARC was conducted in 2001-2002. Three years later, Wave 2 follow-up re-interviews were conducted with 34,653 of the original participants. Scopus and Pubmed were used to search for NESARC papers, which were sorted into topic areas and summarized.

RESULT

The most common disorders were alcohol and posttraumatic stress disorders, and major depression. Females had more internalizing disorders and males had more externalizing disorders, although the preponderance of males with alcohol disorders (the "gender gap") was less pronounced than it was in previous decades. A race/ethnic "paradox" (lower risk among disadvantaged minorities than whites) remains unexplained. Younger participants had higher risk for substance and personality disorders, but not unipolar depressive or anxiety disorders. Psychiatric comorbidity was extensive and often formed latent trans-diagnostic domains. Since 1991-1992, risk for marijuana and prescription drug disorders increased, while smoking decreased, although smoking decreases were less pronounced among those with comorbidity. A nexus of comorbidity, social support, and stress predicted transitions in diagnostic status between Waves 1 and 2. Childhood maltreatment predicted psychopathology. Alcohol and drug use disorders were seldom treated; attitudinal barriers (little perceived need, perceived alcoholism stigma, pessimism about efficacy) were more important in predicting non-treatment than financial barriers.

CONCLUSIONS

Understanding comorbidity and the effects of early stressors will require research incorporating biologic components, e.g., genetic variants and brain imaging. The lack of treatment for alcohol and drug disorders, predicted by attitudinal rather than financial variables, suggests an urgent need for public and professional education to reduce the stigma associated with these disorders and increase knowledge of treatment options.