Identifying hazardous alcohol use in primary care using phosphatidylethanol: Timing of screening matters.
Saved in:
| Title: | Identifying hazardous alcohol use in primary care using phosphatidylethanol: Timing of screening matters. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Månsson, Viktor, Hårdstedt, Maria, Hammarberg, Anders, Hake, Anders, LoMartire, Riccardo |
| Source: | Addiction. Jul2025, Vol. 120 Issue 7, p1441-1449. 9p. |
| Subjects: | Substance abuse diagnosis, Cross-sectional method, Substance abuse, Phospholipids, Seasons, Blood testing, Research funding, Primary health care, Scientific observation, Logistic regression analysis, Sex distribution, Descriptive statistics, Medical records, Alcohol drinking, Time, Biomarkers |
| Geographic Terms: | Sweden |
| Abstract: | Background and Aims: Alcohol is a well‐established risk factor for numerous health conditions, making screening for hazardous alcohol use in healthcare a critical task. While self‐reported data suggest that alcohol consumption varies across seasons, this seasonal fluctuation has not yet been confirmed using objective biological markers. This study aimed to measure whether phosphatidylethanol (PEth) captures variations in hazardous alcohol use across two temporal resolutions: month of the year and day of the week. Design: Observational cross‐sectional study based on data from medical records. Setting: Healthcare services, Region Dalarna, Sweden, between 2017 and 2023. Participants/Cases: Adult patients (n = 62 431, 50% females) screened for hazardous alcohol use with PEth within primary care. Measurements This study utilizes test results from PEth, with results >0.30 μmol/l defined as hazardous alcohol use. We compared the prevalence of hazardous alcohol use across months and weekdays using logistic regression while adjusting for sex, age, smoking status, the Charlson Comorbidity Index and psychiatric diagnoses. Findings The prevalence of hazardous alcohol use increased between May and August, ranging from 13.2% to 15.9%, compared with 10.7% in November. This corresponds to a 48% relative increase in the peak month of July [prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.48, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.33–1.64]. Hazardous alcohol use was also more prevalent among patients tested on Mondays (13.0%) compared with Thursdays, with the lowest prevalence (12.0%). The difference was particularly pronounced among female patients, with a 14.0% higher relative prevalence on Mondays (PR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.02–1.27). Conclusions: In Sweden, the prevalence of hazardous alcohol use appears to fluctuate seasonally and, to a lesser extent, across weekdays, as measured by blood tests for phosphatidylethanol, a biomarker for hazardous alcohol use. November showed the lowest prevalence and July the highest, consistent across age, sex and the year of the observational period. Hazardous alcohol use showed a slight elevation of prevalence during Mondays compared with Tuesday to Friday. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Addiction is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
|
Full text is not displayed to guests.
Login for full access.
|
|
| Abstract: | Background and Aims: Alcohol is a well‐established risk factor for numerous health conditions, making screening for hazardous alcohol use in healthcare a critical task. While self‐reported data suggest that alcohol consumption varies across seasons, this seasonal fluctuation has not yet been confirmed using objective biological markers. This study aimed to measure whether phosphatidylethanol (PEth) captures variations in hazardous alcohol use across two temporal resolutions: month of the year and day of the week. Design: Observational cross‐sectional study based on data from medical records. Setting: Healthcare services, Region Dalarna, Sweden, between 2017 and 2023. Participants/Cases: Adult patients (n = 62 431, 50% females) screened for hazardous alcohol use with PEth within primary care. Measurements This study utilizes test results from PEth, with results >0.30 μmol/l defined as hazardous alcohol use. We compared the prevalence of hazardous alcohol use across months and weekdays using logistic regression while adjusting for sex, age, smoking status, the Charlson Comorbidity Index and psychiatric diagnoses. Findings The prevalence of hazardous alcohol use increased between May and August, ranging from 13.2% to 15.9%, compared with 10.7% in November. This corresponds to a 48% relative increase in the peak month of July [prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.48, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.33–1.64]. Hazardous alcohol use was also more prevalent among patients tested on Mondays (13.0%) compared with Thursdays, with the lowest prevalence (12.0%). The difference was particularly pronounced among female patients, with a 14.0% higher relative prevalence on Mondays (PR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.02–1.27). Conclusions: In Sweden, the prevalence of hazardous alcohol use appears to fluctuate seasonally and, to a lesser extent, across weekdays, as measured by blood tests for phosphatidylethanol, a biomarker for hazardous alcohol use. November showed the lowest prevalence and July the highest, consistent across age, sex and the year of the observational period. Hazardous alcohol use showed a slight elevation of prevalence during Mondays compared with Tuesday to Friday. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 09652140 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/add.70036 |
