R. Saitz et al., Alcohol abuse and dependence in Latinos living in the United States - Validation of the CAGE (4M) questions, ARCH IN MED, 159(7), 1999, pp. 718-724
Citations number
79
Categorie Soggetti
General & Internal Medicine","Medical Research General Topics
Background: Brief alcoholism screening questionnaires have not been adequat
ely studied in the rapidly growing Latino population living in the United S
tates.
Objective: To assess (1) the prevalence of alcoholism and (2) the performan
ce of 2 alcohol screening instruments in Latinos.
Subjects and Methods: We performed a cross-sectional interview study in an
urban teaching hospital-based primary care practice. Consecutive self-ident
ified Latino subjects provided informed consent. All subjects were intervie
wed in English or Spanish using 2 alcoholism screening tools, the CAGE (or
the Spanish version, the 4M), and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification
Test, and a criterion standard for the diagnosis of alcohol abuse and depen
dence, the Composite International Diagnostic Interview.
Results: Of 210 subjects interviewed, 36% had a lifetime diagnosis of alcoh
ol abuse or dependence by the criterion standard. Thirty-one percent were c
urrently drinking hazardous amounts of alcohol. A CAGE (4M) score of 1 or m
ore was 92% sensitive and 74% specific, and a score of 2 or more was 80% se
nsitive and 93% specific for a lifetime diagnosis of alcohol abuse or depen
dency. CAGE (4M) scores of 0, 2, 3, and 4 were associated with likelihood r
atios (0.1, 4.8, 18.5, and 36.8, respectively) that resulted in substantial
changes from pretest (36%) to posttest probability (to 6%, 73%, 91%, and 9
5%, respectively) of a diagnosis of alcohol abuse or dependency. At the sta
ndard cutoff point, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test detected
only 51% of subjects with alcohol disorders.
Conclusions: In Latinos in primary care settings, alcohol abuse and depende
nce are common and the CAGE (4M) is a brief, valid, screening tool for dete
cting alcohol use disorders.