Introduction
Estimates of alcohol consumption in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
are generally lower than those in other surveys of U.S. adults. This study compares
the estimates of adults’ drinking patterns and the distribution of drinks consumed
by average daily alcohol consumption from 2 nationwide telephone surveys.
Methods
The 2014–2015 National Alcohol Survey (n=7,067) and the 2015 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (n=408,069) were used to assess alcohol consumption among adults (≥18 years), analyzed
in 2019. The weighted prevalence of binge-level drinking and the distribution of drinks
consumed by average daily alcohol consumption (low, medium, high) were assessed for
the previous 12 months using the National Alcohol Survey and the previous 30 days
using the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, stratified by respondents’ characteristics.
Results
The prevalence of binge-level drinking in a day was 26.1% for the National Alcohol
Survey; the binge drinking prevalence was 17.4% for the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance
System. The prevalence of high average daily alcohol consumption among current drinkers
was 8.2% for the National Alcohol Survey, accounting for 51.0% of total drinks consumed,
and 3.3% for the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, accounting for 27.7%
of total drinks consumed.
Conclusions
National Alcohol Survey yearly prevalence estimates of binge-level drinking in a day
and high average daily consumption were consistently greater than Behavioral Risk
Factor Surveillance System monthly binge drinking and high average daily consumption
prevalence estimates. When planning and evaluating prevention strategies, the impact
of different survey designs and methods on estimates of excessive drinking and related
harms is important to consider.
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: August 01, 2020
Identification
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© 2020 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
