Cross-national performance of the RAPS4/RAPS4-QF for tolerance and heavy drinking: data from 13 countries.

Harmful alcohol use among injured adult patients presenting to a Ghanaian emergency department

“…We have also noted from a previous study that the results of positive alcohol testing among injured patients in the ED were higher than what might be expected when considering the WHO data on alcohol use in Ghana 6. Studies from other African countries have shown that harmful alcohol use among injured patients in the ED was higher than that in the general population estimates 2 4 5. These discrepancies highlight the need for individual low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) to assess their specific burden of harmful alcohol use among the injured.…”

“…Risk of injury is increased not only by the volume, but pattern of alcohol consumption 3. Assessment of alcohol use characteristics among injured patients has been limited in large regions of the world, including Africa 4 5. We recently found that 35% of injured adults presenting to a Kumasi, Ghana, emergency department (ED) had positive alcohol breath tests or saliva tests 6.…”

Alcohol survey measures for Europe: A literature review

“…Finally, the RAPS4 (and its antecedent, RAPS) has shown good psychometric properties (Cherpitel et al, 2005) and has been successfully used in a series of emergency room studies in various countries such as Poland (Cherpitel, Moskalewicz, Swaitkiewicz, Ye, & Bond, 2009), Argentina (Cremonte & Cherpitel, 2008) and Mexico (Cherpitel & Borges, 2000). It also performed well in the US general population survey for alcohol dependency but less so for alcohol abuse (Cherpitel, 2002).…”

“…The instrument has been the measurement basis in large international studies encompassing countries from North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa (e.g. Cherpitel et al, 2005). In its international application, the RAPS4 has demonstrated higher sensitivity and specificity in relation to a measure of tolerance (proxy for dependence) in those countries with more problematic drinking cultures (i.e.…”

“…In its international application, the RAPS4 has demonstrated higher sensitivity and specificity in relation to a measure of tolerance (proxy for dependence) in those countries with more problematic drinking cultures (i.e. where alcohol is not well integrated into the culture) (Cherpitel et al, 2005).…”