Prevalence of hazardous drinking and suspected alcohol dependence in Japanese primary care settings

Ryuhei So; Kazuya Kariyama; Shunsuke Oyamada; Sachio Matsushita; Hiroki Nishimura; Yukio Tezuka; Takashi Sunami; Toshi A Furukawa; Mitsuhiko Kawaguchi; Haruhiko Kobashi; Sohji Nishina; Yuki Otsuka; Yasushi Tsujimoto; Yoshinori Horie; Hitoshi Yoshiji; Takefumi Yuzuriha; Kazuhiro Nouso

doi:10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2024.04.002

Prevalence of hazardous drinking and suspected alcohol dependence in Japanese primary care settings

Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2024 Apr 4:89:8-15. doi: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2024.04.002. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Ryuhei So¹, Kazuya Kariyama², Shunsuke Oyamada³, Sachio Matsushita⁴, Hiroki Nishimura⁵, Yukio Tezuka⁶, Takashi Sunami⁷, Toshi A Furukawa⁸, Mitsuhiko Kawaguchi⁹, Haruhiko Kobashi¹⁰, Sohji Nishina¹¹, Yuki Otsuka¹², Yasushi Tsujimoto¹³, Yoshinori Horie¹⁴, Hitoshi Yoshiji¹⁵, Takefumi Yuzuriha¹⁶, Kazuhiro Nouso²

Affiliations

¹ Okayama Psychiatric Medical Center, Okayama, Japan; CureApp, Inc., Tokyo, Japan; Departments of Health Promotion and Human Behavior, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine / School of Public Health, Kyoto, Japan; Scientific Research WorkS Peer Support Group (SRWS-PSG), Osaka, Japan. Electronic address: nexttext@gmail.com.
² Department of Gastroenterology, Okayama City Hospital, Okayama, Japan.
³ Department of Biostatistics, JORTC Data Center, Tokyo, Japan.
⁴ National Hospital Organization Kurihama Medical and Addiction Center, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan.
⁵ Okayama Psychiatric Medical Center, Okayama, Japan; CureApp, Inc., Tokyo, Japan.
⁶ Department of Psychiatry, Okinawa Rehabilitation Center Hospital, Okinawa, Japan.
⁷ Saga Prefecture Medical Center Koseikan, Saga, Japan.
⁸ Office of Institutional Advancement and Communications, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan; Kyoto University, Graduate School of Medicine / School of Public Health, Kyoto, Japan.
⁹ Kawaguchi Medical Clinic, Okayama, Japan.
¹⁰ Department of Hepatology, Japanese Red Cross Okayama Hospital, Okayama, Japan.
¹¹ Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kawasaki Medical School, Okayama, Japan.
¹² Department of General Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan.
¹³ Departments of Health Promotion and Human Behavior, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine / School of Public Health, Kyoto, Japan; Scientific Research WorkS Peer Support Group (SRWS-PSG), Osaka, Japan; Oku Medical Clinic, Osaka, Japan.
¹⁴ Keiai Clinic, Tokyo, Japan.
¹⁵ Department of Gastroenterology, Nara Medical University, Nara, Japan.
¹⁶ National Hospital Organization Hizen Psychiatric Medical Center, Saga, Japan; Chikugo Yoshii Cocoro Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan.

PMID: 38657355
DOI: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2024.04.002

Abstract

Objective: We aimed to assess the prevalence of hazardous drinking and potential alcohol dependence among Japanese primary care patients, and their readiness to change and awareness of others' concerns.

Methods: From July to August 2023, we conducted a multi-site cross-sectional study as a screening survey for participants in a cluster randomized controlled trial. The trial included outpatients aged 20-74 from primary care clinics. Using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) alongside a self-administered questionnaire, we evaluated the prevalence of hazardous drinking and suspected alcohol dependence, patients' readiness to change, and their awareness of others' concerns.

Results: Among the 1388 participants from 18 clinics, 22% (95% confidence interval (CI): 20% to 24%) were identified as engaging in hazardous drinking or suspected of being alcohol dependent. As the AUDIT scores increased, so did their readiness to change. However, only 22% (95%CI: 16% to 28%) of those with scores ranging from 8 to 14 reported that others, including physicians, had expressed concerns about their drinking during the past year. For those with scores of 15 or higher, the figure was 74%.

Conclusions: This study underscores the need for universal or high-risk alcohol screening and brief intervention in Japanese primary care settings. Trial registry UMIN-CTR (https://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/) (UMIN000051388).

Keywords: Alcohol dependence; Alcohol use disorders identification test; Hazardous drinking; Japan; Prevalence; Primary care; Public health.