Author/Authors :
Kylie Lee, K. S. NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Indigenous Health and Alcohol - Discipline of Addiction Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health - The University of Sydney, King George V Building, Australia , onigrave, James H. C NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Indigenous Health and Alcohol - Discipline of Addiction Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health - The University of Sydney, King George V Building, Australia , Callinan, Sarah NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Indigenous Health and Alcohol - Discipline of Addiction Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health - The University of Sydney, King George V Building, Australia , Wilson, Scott NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Indigenous Health and Alcohol - Discipline of Addiction Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health - The University of Sydney, King George V Building, Australia , Room, Robin NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Indigenous Health and Alcohol - Discipline of Addiction Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health - The University of Sydney, King George V Building, Australia , Perry, Jimmy NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Indigenous Health and Alcohol - Discipline of Addiction Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health - The University of Sydney, King George V Building, Australia , Slade, Tim NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Indigenous Health and Alcohol - Discipline of Addiction Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health - The University of Sydney, King George V Building, Australia , Chikritzhs, Tanya N. NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Indigenous Health and Alcohol - Discipline of Addiction Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health - The University of Sydney, King George V Building, Australia , Hayman, Noel NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Indigenous Health and Alcohol - Discipline of Addiction Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health - The University of Sydney, King George V Building, Australia , Weatherall, Teagan NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Indigenous Health and Alcohol - Discipline of Addiction Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health - The University of Sydney, King George V Building, Australia , Leggat, Geoffrey NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Indigenous Health and Alcohol - Discipline of Addiction Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health - The University of Sydney, King George V Building, Australia , Gray, Dennis NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Indigenous Health and Alcohol - Discipline of Addiction Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health - The University of Sydney, King George V Building, Australia , Conigrave, Katherine M. NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Indigenous Health and Alcohol - Discipline of Addiction Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health - The University of Sydney, King George V Building, Australia
Abstract :
Background
Alcohol consumption among Indigenous Australians can be irregular, depending on social and geographic context. The Finnish method uses the last four drinking occasions to estimate drinking quantity and pattern. The Grog Survey App is an interactive and visual tablet computer application which uses touch-screen technology to deliver questions on drinking.
Methods
Alcohol consumption recorded on the Grog Survey App using the last four occasions (Finnish) method was compared with a clinical interview conducted by an Indigenous Australian health professional. To assess convergent validity, Spearman’s ranked correlations between consumption estimates from the App and from interview were calculated. Sensitivity and specificity analyses were used to compare how well the App and clinical interview agreed when classifying drinkers’ risk. To assess criterion validity, average grams alcohol per day as estimated by the App (and by interview) were compared against presence of self-reported withdrawal tremors (from App or interview). Test–retest reliability was assessed by correlations between measures of alcohol consumption recorded on two occasions.
Results
The App recorded higher numbers of standard drinks consumed per drinking occasion than the interview. There was reasonable agreement between the App and interview across common reference periods (sensitivity 92.7%, specificity 69.8%, short-term risk; sensitivity 70.7%, specificity 68.8%, long-term risk). Average consumption recorded by the App was as good or better predictor of withdrawal tremors than consumption as estimated by interview.
Conclusions
The Finnish method, as delivered by the App, offers an innovative way to collect survey data on alcohol in a population with an intermittent drinking pattern.
