PREVALENCE OF ETHANOL-CONSUMPTION MAY BE HIGHER IN WOMEN THAN MEN IN A UNIVERSITY HEALTH-SERVICE POPULATION AS DETERMINED BY A BIOCHEMICAL MARKER - WHOLE BLOOD-ASSOCIATED ACETALDEHYDE ABOVE THE 99TH PERCENTILEFOR TEETOTALERS

To estimate ethanol consumption by university students attending a stu dent health facility, a biochemical marker of alcohol intake [whole bl ood associated acetaldehyde (WBAA)] was quantified by fluorimetric HPL C. Over a two year period we studied blood samples, coded by date and sex, from 645 females and 332 males, and compared the results to previ ously established reference ranges for teetotalers by sex. Men had hig her absolute values for WBAA than women (9.9 versus 9.5 mu M in the pr esent study). However, significantly greater numbers of women (74%) th an men (44%) had WBAA levels above the 99th percentile for teetotalers . Variations occurred during the academic year, with significant eleva tions occurring in the late fall and winter months. Testing of WBAA le vels in a student health service may be important especially for women to facilitate counseling on the dangers of alcohol abuse.