160602 Correlation of alcohol dependence with medical and mental conditions in an African-American population

Monday, November 5, 2007

Vanessa Marshall, MA , College of Medicine- Collaborative Alcohol Research Center, Howard University, Washington, DC
Nnenna Kalu, MS, MPH , College of Medicine- Collaborative Alcohol Research Center, Howard University, Washington, DC
John Kwagyan, PhD , College of Medicine- Collaborative Alcohol Research Center, Howard University, Washington, DC
Nailah Harrell, BA, BS , College of Medicine- Collaborative Alcohol Research Center, Howard University, Washington, DC
Clifford Ferguson, MD , College of Medicine- Collaborative Alcohol Research Center, Howard University, Washington, DC
Denise Scott, PhD , Department of Pediatrics and Human Genetics, Howard University Hospital, Washington, DC
Gloria Cain, MSW , College of Medicine- Collaborative Alcohol Research Center, Howard University, Washington, DC
Robert Taylor, MD, PhD , College of Medicine- Collaborative Alcohol Research Center, Howard University, Washington, DC
OBJECTIVE: Some studies suggest that alcohol use disorders are associated with medical and mental illnesses. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether medical conditions and the most severe period of depression (SPD) correlates with alcohol dependence in a cohort of African-Americans. METHODS: We studied 467 African-Americans (287 non-alcohol dependent or ND and 180 alcohol dependent or AD). AD participants were recruited from various inpatient treatment facilities in Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. ND controls were recruited by advertisements. Participants completed an instrument to assess the physical, psychological and social manifestations of alcoholism and related disorders. SPD was defined as a period of time lasting at least one week of feeling depressed, uninterested in things or irritable most of the day, nearly everyday. Binary logistic regression and multivariate analyses were used to compare the data. Statistical significance testing was established at p< 0.05. RESULTS: SPD significantly associated with high blood pressure (p= .038), heart disease (p= .037), asthma (p=.017), taken prescription medications for two weeks or longer in lifetime (p=.003), brain injury or concussion and been unconscious for longer than five minutes (p=.003). Gender (p<.001), income (p<.001) and SPD (p<.001) were independent predictors of alcohol dependence. The sequence of medical conditions and severe episode of depression occurred differently for AD and ND participants. CONCLUSION: Screening for medical conditions and depression are crucial for preventing depressive episodes and alcohol use disorders. This study serves as a preliminary investigation to recognize factors that associates with alcohol dependence among African-Americans.

Learning Objectives:
1.Identify areas of alcohol intervention for public health professionals. 2.To recognize factors that associates with alcohol dependence among African-Americans. 3.Construct a model sequence of alcohol related medical and mental conditions in a health care setting.

Keywords: Alcoholism, African American

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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