Prevalence of 12-Month Alcohol Use, High-Risk Drinking, and DSM-IV Alcohol Use Disorder in the United States, 2001-2002 to 2012-2013
Results From the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions
Key Points
Question
Have the 12-month prevalences of alcohol use, high-risk alcohol use, and DSM-IV alcohol use disorder increased between 2001-2002 and 2012-2013?
Findings
In this study of data from face-to-face interviews conducted in 2 nationally representative surveys of US adults, including the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (n = 43 093) and the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions III (n = 36 309), 12-month alcohol use (11.2%), high-risk alcohol intake (29.9%), and DSM-IV alcohol use disorder (49.4%) increased for the total US population and, with few exceptions, across sociodemographic subgroups.
Meaning
Substantial increases in alcohol use, high-risk alcohol intake, and DSM-IV alcohol use disorder constitute a public health crisis and portend increases in chronic disease comorbidities in the United States, especially among women, older adults, racial/ethnic minorities, and the socioeconomically disadvantaged.
Abstract
Importance
Lack of current and comprehensive trend data derived from a uniform, reliable, and valid source on alcohol use, high-risk alcohol intake, and DSM-IV alcohol use disorder (AUD) represents a major gap in public health information.
Objective
To present nationally representative data on changes in the prevalences of 12-month alcohol use, 12-month high-risk alcohol intake, 12-month DSM-IV AUD, 12-month DSM-IVAUD among 12-month alcohol users, and 12-month DSM-IV AUD among 12-month high-risk users between 2001-2002 and 2012-2013.
Design, Setting, and Participants
The study data were derived from face-to-face interviews conducted in 2 nationally representative surveys of US adults: the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, with data collected from April 2001 to June 2002, and the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions III, with data collected from April 2012 to June 2013. Data were analyzed in November and December 2016.
Main Outcomes and Measures
Twelve-month alcohol use, high-risk alcohol intake, and DSM-IVAUD.
Results
The study sample included 43. 093 participants in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions and 36 .309 participants in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions III.
Between 2001-2002 and 2012-2013, 12-month alcohol use, high-risk alcohol intake, and DSM-IV AUD increased by 11.2%, 29.9%, and 49.4%, respectively, with alcohol use increasing from 65.4% to 72.7%, high-risk alcohol intake increasing from 9.7% to 12.6%, and DSM-IV AUD increasing from 8.5% to 12.7%.
With few exceptions, increases in alcohol use, high-risk alcohol intake, and DSM-IV AUD between 2001-2002 and 2012-2013 were also statistically significant across sociodemographic subgroups. Increases in all of these outcomes were greatest among women, older adults, racial/ethnic minorities, and individuals with lower educational level and family income.
Increases were also seen for the total sample and most sociodemographic subgroups for the prevalences of 12-month DSM-IV AUD among 12-month alcohol users from 12.9% to 17.5% and 12-month DSM-IV AUD among 12-month high-risk alcohol users from 46.5% to 54.5%.
Conclusions and Relevance
Taken together, these findings portend increases in many chronic comorbidities in which alcohol use has a substantial role.