Brief intervention and decrease of alcohol consumption among women: a systematic review

Abstract

Problems related to alcohol consumption are priority public health issues worldwide and may compromise women’s health. The early detection of risky alcohol consumption combined with a brief intervention (BI) has shown promising results in prevention for different populations. The aim of this study was to examine data from recent scientific publications on the use of BI toward reducing alcohol consumption among women through a systematic review. Electronic searches were conducted using Web of Science, PubMed(Medline) and PsycInfo databases. In all databases, the term “brief intervention” was associated with the words “alcohol” and “women”, and studies published between the years 2006 and 2011 were selected. Out of the 133 publications found, the 36 scientific articles whose central theme was performing and/or evaluating the effectiveness of BI were included. The full texts were reviewed by content analysis technique. This review identified promising results of BI for women, especially pregnant women and female college students, in different forms of application (face-to-face, by computer or telephone) despite a substantial heterogeneity in the clinical trials analyzed. In primary care, which is a setting involving quite different characteristics, the results among women were rather unclear. In general, the results indicated a decrease in alcohol consumption among women following BI, both in the number of days of consumption and the number of doses, suggesting that the impact on the woman’s reproductive health and the lower social acceptance of female consumption can be aspects favorable for the effectiveness of BI in this population.

Associação entre o consumo de bebidas alcoólicas e tabaco e a religiosidade

“…(10,14,15) As regards religion, there was a significant percentage of Catholics and Evangelicals; these data are shown in the 2010 Brazilian census and other studies about the Brazilian population profile. (16) The association between female sex and higher consumption of alcohol is in line with national and international studies (3,(17)(18)(19) that described the global increase in alcohol consumption among women in the last few years. The national survey about alcohol consumption patterns in the Brazilian population identified that young women make up the group with highest indexes of increase in alcohol consumption, and are in higher risk of presenting harmful consumption.…”

“…(3) In brief, studies show universalization of consumption in relation to sex, and men cannot be thought as the main consumers. (18,19) It is worth emphasizing the importance of understanding this specific change of behavior observed among women. In order to plan intervention strategies focused on women with consumption similar of tobacco if compared to individuals who attended more frequently.…”

Influence of a targeted performance measure for brief intervention on gender differences in receipt of brief intervention among patients with unhealthy alcohol use in the Veterans Health Administration

“…This is consistent with previous studies demonstrating higher likelihood of alcohol use disorders and alcohol-related consequences among women than men at equivalent AUDIT-C scores (Rubinsky et al, 2013; Rubinsky, Kivlahan, Volk, Maynard, & Bradley, 2010). While data from randomized controlled trials that included women suggest similar efficacy of brief intervention among women and men with unhealthy alcohol use (Fleming et al, 1997; Fleming et al, 2000; Gebara et al, 2013; E. Kaner et al, 2013; Manwell et al, 2000), the efficacy of brief intervention may not extend to patients with the most severe alcohol use (Jonas et al, 2012).…”

“…Historically, while randomized controlled trials of brief intervention suggest similar efficacy among women and men with unhealthy alcohol use (Fleming, Barry, Manwell, Johnson, & London, 1997; Fleming et al, 2000; Gebara, Bhona, Ronzani, Lourenco, & Noto, 2013; E. Kaner et al, 2013; Manwell, Fleming, Mundt, Stauffacher, & Barry, 2000), women have been less likely than men to receive brief interventions in practice (Bertakis & Azari, 2007; Burman et al, 2004; E.…”

Reducing Alcohol Use During Pregnancy Via Health Counseling by Midwives and Internet-Based Computer-Tailored Feedback: A Cluster Randomized Trial

“…Various interventions to reduce prenatal alcohol use have been described in reviews [ 7 - 9 ]; however, only 5 studies used a randomized controlled trial to test intervention effectiveness (ie, [ 10 - 14 ]). All these interventions applied health counseling; pregnant women were screened for alcohol use and participated in motivational interviews conducted by health professionals (eg, [ 15 ]).…”