title: Alcohol consumption among HIV-infected patients.
abstract: This prospective, cohort study analyzed the prevalence of alcoholism and patterns of alcohol intake over time in a cohort of HIV-infected patients, predominantly homosexual/bisexual men. One hundred eleven HIV-positive subjects were recruited from a comprehensive HIV clinic associated with a large Midwestern university hospital. Each participant completed the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST) survey and a standardized quantity-frequency questionnaire on alcohol intake at enrollment. The quantity-frequency scale was repeated every six months for a total of 30 months. Forty-five of the 111 subjects (41%) met the criteria for alcoholism, as defined by a MAST score 5 or higher. There was a significant decrease in alcohol consumption over time, from 6.4 drinks/week in the initial time period to 3.9 drinks/week by the final time period (p < 0.001).
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D015497:HIV-1; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015146:Midwestern United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies