Funding: NIAAA R21 AA12889
The aims of the Developmental Grant proposal for Collaborative International Projects were to: (1) analyze the prevalence of alcohol-related emergency room (ER) visits in Poland; (2) examine the association of drinking patterns and alcohol-related problems with ER admission for an injury, including the role of alcohol in the injury event; (3) examine the association of demographic and drinking characteristics with ER services utilization among both injured and noninjured patients; (4) test the performance of short screening instruments (CAGE, RAPS, and AUDIT) for identifying harmful drinking/abuse and alcohol dependence; (5) compare ER findings form Poland with similar ER data collected in the U.S. patients in an Eastern European country, where both alcohol consumption and the health care system have been undergoing enormous change. Data were collected in two large public hospital ERs in Warsaw and Sosnowiec, which represent two diverse regions of the country. A probability sample of 1,722 patients were breathalyzed and interviewed at the time of the ER visit regarding drinking prior to the event and related variables, usual drinking patterns and alcohol-related problems including alcohol use disorders, and ER services utilization. A similar questionnaire was used to that previously used in a number of sites in the U.S. and other countries for cross-national comparison.
