Using the Bivariate Dale Model to jointly estimate predictors of frequency and quantity of alcohol use.
OBJECTIVE
This study demonstrates the usefulness of the Bivariate Dale Model (BDM) as a method for estimating the relationship between risk factors and the quantity and frequency of alcohol use, as well as the degree of association between these highly correlated drinking measures.


METHODS
The BDM is used to evaluate childhood sexual abuse, along with age and gender, as risk factors for the quantity and frequency of beer consumption in a sample of driving-while-intoxicated (DWI) offenders (N = 1,964; 1,612 men). The BDM allows one to estimate the relative odds of drinking up to each level of ordinal-scaled quantity and frequency of alcohol use, as well as model the degree of association between quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption as a function of covariates.


RESULTS
Individuals who experienced childhood sexual abuse have increased risks of higher quantity and frequency of beer consumption. History of childhood sexual abuse has a greater effect on women, causing them to drink higher quantities of beer per drinking occasion.


CONCLUSIONS
The BDM is a useful method for evaluating predictors of the quantity-frequency of alcohol consumption. SAS macrocode for fitting the BDM model is provided.
McMillan
Garnett P
GP
Behavioral Health Research Center of the Southwest, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102, USA. gmcmillan@bhrcs.org
Hanson
Tim
T
Bedrick
Edward J
EJ
Lapham
Sandra C
SC
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D001515:Beer; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic