Measuring alcohol consumption—should the ‘graduated frequency’ approach become the norm in survey research?

Gmel, Gerhard; Graham, Kathryn; Kuendig, Hervé; Kuntsche, Sandra

doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2005.01224.x

Cited by 62 publications

(72 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…However, as it is well known that more specific questions result in higher reported alcohol intake, there could be some disadvantages with using GF or QF measures compared to the beverage-specific intake on each day in a typical week. The GF approach has, for example been criticized as burdensome and difficult for respondents (Gmel et al, 2006) and, hence, this method is probably not suitable …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Comparison of assessment methods for self-reported alcohol consumption in health interview surveys

et al. 2007

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Objective: To select a simple method for assessing alcohol consumption and to compare how different reference periods and response categories influence the self-reported frequency of binge drinking. Design: Four random samples of 1000 adult Danes. Data were collected via personal interview at the respondents' home. Setting: Denmark, nationwide. Participants: The total number of interviewed was 2593 individuals. Measurements: The assessment methods in the four samples were (1) the 7-day recall method, (2) intake each day in a typical week, (3) intake last weekend, and (4) intake in a typical week. Furthermore, binge drinking was assessed in the samples using different reference periods and response formats. Findings: The sex-and age-adjusted mean number of drinks in the last week (the 7-day recall method) was 10.6 drinks compared to 10.4 drinks among respondents reporting their intake for each day in a typical week and 8.7 drinks among subjects reporting the average intake in a typical week. Furthermore, subjects that reported their typical intake for each day were as likely as subjects that had the 7-day recall method to report a high weekly alcohol intake. Respondents who had close-ended questions were more likely to report binge drinking compared to respondents that had open-ended questions. Conclusions: Questions concerning typical alcohol intake for each day of the week are feasible to use in epidemiological studies. Furthermore, it is more appropriate to use close-ended questions compared to open-ended questions in measuring bingedrinking when the reference period is long.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…each day of the week). The QF approach has, for example, been criticized because respondents tend to report modal consumption instead of mean consumption (Gmel et al, 2006). Studies have also shown that the QF method generally generates lower estimates of volume, compared with the GF method (Rehm, 1998).…”

Section: Assessing Alcohol Consumption O Ekholm Et Almentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of assessment methods for self-reported alcohol consumption in health interview surveys

et al. 2007

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“…The validity of self-reported alcohol intake in surveys has often been questioned. [30][31][32][33][34][35] Future research studies might solicit alcohol intake information at several time points, asking the specific context and specific reason to drink in each instance. This strategy would increase the report of alcohol use in order to best evaluate the multidimensional way of drinking.…”

Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tridimensionality of alcohol use in Canada: Patterns of drinking, contexts and motivations to drink in the definition of Canadian drinking profiles according to gender

Fortin

Moulin

Picard

et al. 2015

Can J Public Health

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OBJECTIVES: The aim of this paper is to examine whether there is an underlying multidimensional typology of drinking according to gender among a population presenting heterogeneous drinking profiles in Canada.METHODS: Latent class analysis was chosen to analyze the degree of statistical relationship among three indicators of drinking practices: patterns of drinkingi.e., frequency and quantity; contexts; and motivations to drink. Multivariate multilogistic regressions were conducted to explore the composition of each typology by age and education. Participants were selected from the Canadian GENACIS survey (Gender, Alcohol, and Culture: An International Study) and comprised 871 men and 843 women (N = 1,714) aged between 18 and 77 years and being regular alcohol drinkers (consumption at least once a month). Respondents to the GENACIS questionnaire completed questions on use, contexts and reasons to drink as well as socio-economic questions (age and education), adjusted by Canadian province of residence.RESULTS: Six profiles were distinguished among men and five among women. Men and women share four drinking patterns but present distinctive characteristics of drinking. We also observed variability in the relationship according to socio-economic status and gender. CONCLUSION:Our results confirmed the complexity and variability of drinking practices according to gender in Canada and the necessity to focus on gender and social dimensions in order to enhance our understanding of alcohol use. This study also reinforces the idea of adapting promotion strategies and interventions in public health by gender and social status in order to make them more efficient. Numerous studies have shown that women drink smaller quantities, drink less often, and get intoxicated on fewer occasions. [4][5][6] While the hypothesis of a convergence between drinking patterns of men and women has been debated over time, this hypothesis has found limited support. 4,7,8 In another way, gender differences in drinking go beyond drinking patterns. Men and women differ with regards to drinking contexts 3 and drinking motives. 9 These drinking practice dimensions are intertwined. [10][11][12] Over and above gender, the individual's position in life course and in social structure have been shown to be key factors in the patterning of drinking. 8,13,14 Hence, a simultaneous analysis among use, contexts and motivations in the definition of drinking practices of men and women will permit us to highlight the complexity of drinking behaviours, and will offer a guide to better develop gender-sensitive prevention related to alcohol use.The aim of this paper is to explore the variability of drinking profiles, and its determinants, among Canadian men and women who drink regularly.The following three questions are addressed: 1) What are the underlying typologies of drinking practices among men and women that adequately represent the variability in drinking practices in Canada? 2) In which respects do those typologies differ and in which are they simila...

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“…Each has its own strengths and weaknesses against various criteria such as internal validity (2), the extent of underreporting (3), capacity to measure patterns of hazardous consumption as well as average volume consumed over time (4), ability to assess compliance with national low risk drinking guidelines (5), cost effectiveness (1) and ability to provide beverage specific information (6,7). In this paper we will provide new comparative analyses of data from a large Australian alcohol and other drug use survey regarding what we will refer to here as the "Yesterday" method which involves detailed questions of beverage types and serve sizes of drinks consumed the day before the interview.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What did you drink yesterday? Public health relevance of a recent recall method used in the 2004 Australian National Drug Strategy Household Survey

et al. 2008

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Aim-To (i) compare the Yesterday method with other methods of assessing alcohol use applied in the 2004 Australian National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS) in terms of extent of underreporting of actual consumption assessed from sales data and (ii) illustrate applications of the Yesterday method as a means of variously measuring the size of an Australian "standard drink", extent of risky/high risk alcohol use, unrecorded alcohol consumption and beverage specific patterns of risk in the general population.Setting-The homes of respondents who were eligible and willing to participate. Participants-24,109Australians aged 12 years and over.Design-The 2004 NDSHS assessed drug use, experiences and attitudes using a "drop and collect" self completion questionnaire with random sampling and geographic (State and Territory) and demographic (age and gender) stratification.Measures-Self-completion questionnaire using Quantity-Frequency (QF) and GraduatedFrequency (GF) methods plus two questions about consumption 'yesterday': one in standard drinks, another with empirically-based estimates of drink size and strength. Results-TheYesterday method yielded an estimate of 12.8 g as the amount of ethanol in a typical Australian standard drink (vs. official 10 g). Estimated coverage of the 2003-2004 age 12+ years per capita alcohol consumption in Australia (9.33ml of ethanol) was 69.17% for GF and 64.63% for the QF when assuming a 12.8 g standard drink. Highest coverage of 80.71% was achieved by the detailed Yesterday method. The detailed Yesterday method found that 60.1% of Australian alcohol consumption was above low risk guidelines; 81.5% for 12 to 17-year-olds, 84.8% for 18 to 24-yearolds and 88.8% for Indigenous respondents. Spirit-based drinks and regular strength beer were most likely to be drunk this way, low and mid-strength beer least likely.Conclusions-Compared to more widely used methods, the Yesterday method minimized underreporting of overall consumption and provided unique data of public health significance. It also provides an empirical basis for taxing alcoholic beverages in accordance with their contributions to harm and can be used to complement individual level measures such as Quantity Frequency and Graduated Frequency.

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Measuring alcohol consumption—should the ‘graduated frequency’ approach become the norm in survey research?

Cited by 62 publications

References 28 publications

Comparison of assessment methods for self-reported alcohol consumption in health interview surveys

Comparison of assessment methods for self-reported alcohol consumption in health interview surveys

Tridimensionality of alcohol use in Canada: Patterns of drinking, contexts and motivations to drink in the definition of Canadian drinking profiles according to gender

What did you drink yesterday? Public health relevance of a recent recall method used in the 2004 Australian National Drug Strategy Household Survey

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