AIMS: To assess the effectiveness of brief alcohol intervention on hazardous and harmful drinking in the 12-month period after a voluntary alcohol screening. METHODS: At a large transport company, employees presenting to the occupational health services for a routine health and lifestyle check-up were offered to undertake an alcohol screening by means of self-report (the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-AUDIT) and a biomarker (carbohydrate-deficient transferrin in serum-CDT). Those screening positive for the AUDIT and/or CDT were randomized to a brief or comprehensive intervention group or to a control group. An identical follow-up session was performed 12 months later. RESULTS:Of 990 employees (68% men) that volunteered for the alcohol screening, 194 (20%) tested positive for the AUDIT and/or CDT. Among the 158 (81%) subjects who also attended the follow-up session, the frequency of positive screening results at baseline/follow-up were 51%/23% for the AUDIT (P < 0.0001) and 58%/34% (P < 0.0001) for CDT. However, there were no significant differences between the brief and comprehensive intervention groups or between the intervention groups and the control group. CONCLUSION: The results suggested that alcohol screening and brief intervention performed in connection with routine health and lifestyle examinations in the workplace may be effective in reducing alcohol consumption. Given the lack of difference in outcome between the intervention groups and the control group, alcohol screening may in itself cause reduction in drinking. In addition, at least some of the positive effect may be explained by regression towards the mean.
RCT Entities:
AIMS: To assess the effectiveness of brief alcohol intervention on hazardous and harmful drinking in the 12-month period after a voluntary alcohol screening. METHODS: At a large transport company, employees presenting to the occupational health services for a routine health and lifestyle check-up were offered to undertake an alcohol screening by means of self-report (the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-AUDIT) and a biomarker (carbohydrate-deficient transferrin in serum-CDT). Those screening positive for the AUDIT and/or CDT were randomized to a brief or comprehensive intervention group or to a control group. An identical follow-up session was performed 12 months later. RESULTS: Of 990 employees (68% men) that volunteered for the alcohol screening, 194 (20%) tested positive for the AUDIT and/or CDT. Among the 158 (81%) subjects who also attended the follow-up session, the frequency of positive screening results at baseline/follow-up were 51%/23% for the AUDIT (P < 0.0001) and 58%/34% (P < 0.0001) for CDT. However, there were no significant differences between the brief and comprehensive intervention groups or between the intervention groups and the control group. CONCLUSION: The results suggested that alcohol screening and brief intervention performed in connection with routine health and lifestyle examinations in the workplace may be effective in reducing alcohol consumption. Given the lack of difference in outcome between the intervention groups and the control group, alcohol screening may in itself cause reduction in drinking. In addition, at least some of the positive effect may be explained by regression towards the mean.
Authors: Luke Wolfenden; Sharni Goldman; Fiona G Stacey; Alice Grady; Melanie Kingsland; Christopher M Williams; John Wiggers; Andrew Milat; Chris Rissel; Adrian Bauman; Margaret M Farrell; France Légaré; Ali Ben Charif; Hervé Tchala Vignon Zomahoun; Rebecca K Hodder; Jannah Jones; Debbie Booth; Benjamin Parmenter; Tim Regan; Sze Lin Yoong Journal: Cochrane Database Syst Rev Date: 2018-11-14
Authors: Penny A Cook; Michela Morleo; David Billington; Kevin Sanderson-Shortt; Colin Jones; Mark Gabbay; Nick Sheron; Mark A Bellis; Penelope A Phillips-Howard; Ian T Gilmore Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2015-06-04 Impact factor: 3.295