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Differentiating Types of Self-Reported Alcohol Abstinence

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Abstract

We contrast three types of abstinence: quit after alcohol associated problems (Q-AP), quit for other reasons (Q-OR), and lifetime abstainer (LTA). We summarized the characteristics of people living with HIV (PLWH), and matched uninfected individuals, by levels of alcohol use and types of abstinence. We then identified factors that differentiate abstinence and determined whether the association with an alcohol biomarker or a genetic polymorphism is improved by differentiating abstinence. Among abstainers, 34% of PLWH and 38% of uninfected were Q-AP; 53% and 53% were Q-OR; and 12% and 10% were LTA. Logistic regression models found smoking, alcohol, cocaine, and hepatitis C increased odds of Q-AP, whereas smoking and marijuana decreased odds of LTA. Differentiating types of abstinence improved association. Q-APs and LTAs can be readily differentiated by an alcohol biomarker and genetic polymorphism. Differentiating type of abstinence may enhance understanding of alcohol health effects.

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Acknowledgements

Drs Gordon and McGinnis had full access to all the data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. Gordon and Justice were responsibly for study concept and design, interpretation, drafting of manuscript, and critical revisions. All other authors provided critical review and revisions. Kendall Bryant was the Scientific Collaborator for the Cooperative Agreements. Any expressed views do not represent those of the US Government. This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health: The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism [Grant Nos. U24-AA020794, U01-AA020790, U10-A013566-completed, U01-AA020795, U01-AA020799, U24-AA022001, and U24-AA022007] and the Veterans Integrated Service Network 4: Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center.

Disclosure

Dr. Kranzler is a member of the American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology’s Alcohol Clinical Trials Initiative, which was sponsored for the past three years by AbbVie, Alkermes, Amygdala Neurosciences, Arbor Pharmaceuticals, Ethypharm, Indivior, Lilly, Lundbeck, Otsuka, and Pfizer. Drs. Kranzler and Gelernter are named as inventors on PCT patent application #15/878,640 entitled: “Genotype-guided dosing of opioid agonists,” filed January 24, 2018.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. VA Connecticut Healthcare System, 11ACSL-G, 950 Campbell Avenue, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA

    Kirsha S. Gordon, Kathleen McGinnis, Christopher T. Rentsch, Joel Gelernter, Janet P. Tate & Amy C. Justice

  2. Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA

    Kirsha S. Gordon, Cecilia Dao, Aeron Small, Joel Gelernter, Janet P. Tate & Amy C. Justice

  3. Epidemiology & Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK

    Christopher T. Rentsch

  4. University of Louisville School of Nursing, Louisville, KY, 42408, USA

    Rachel Vickers Smith

  5. Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

    Rachel L. Kember

  6. Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center VISN4 MIRECC, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

    Rachel L. Kember & Henry R. Kranzler

  7. Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

    Henry R. Kranzler

  8. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA

    Kendall J. Bryant

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  1. Kirsha S. Gordon
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  2. Kathleen McGinnis
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  3. Cecilia Dao
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  6. Rachel Vickers Smith
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Correspondence to Kirsha S. Gordon.

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Gordon, K.S., McGinnis, K., Dao, C. et al. Differentiating Types of Self-Reported Alcohol Abstinence. AIDS Behav 24, 655–665 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-019-02638-x

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