title: The Relationship between a Spouse's Alcohol Use Disorder and Family Communication.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alcohol use disorder (AUD) affects not only an individual's health but also their family. This study was conducted to examine effects of a spouse's AUD on family functioning and family communication.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from 890 participants (445 couples) in a Korean family cohort in primary care. Participants with Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test in Korea scores of 8 or greater were classified into an AUD group. Family functioning was classified into three groups (balanced, midrange, and extreme) using the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale (FACES)-III questionnaire, and then reclassified into two groups (appropriate and extreme groups) for binominal analyses. Family communication was classified into three groups (high, moderate, and low) using the Family Communication Scale, FACES-IV, and also reclassified into two groups (good and poor).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference in adaptability and cohesion between both male and female participants with a spouse with AUD and participants with a spouse without AUD. Using multivariate logistic regression to adjust for potential confounders, there was no significant difference in family type and communication between the two groups in males. However, there was a significant decrease in family communication (odds ratio, 2.14; 95% confidence interval, 1.29 to 3.58) in females with a spouse with AUD compared to females with a spouse without AUD, even after adjusting for the participant's own AUD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In females, family communication is significantly worse when spouses have AUD. This suggests that a husband's alcohol consumption has negative effects on his wife's family communication.
authors: Department of Family Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Hyuk Ju
authors: HJ
authors: Kwon
authors: Department of Family Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Tae Kwan
authors: TK
authors: Ahn
authors: Department of Family Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Jung Ah
authors: JA
authors: Lee
authors: Department of Family Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Sung
authors: S
authors: Sunwoo
authors: Department of Family Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Young Sik
authors: YS
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Byung-Soo
authors: BS
authors: Kim
authors: Department of Family Medicine, Central Veterans Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Tae Hee
authors: TH
authors: Jeon
authors: Department of Family Medicine, Konyang University Hospital, Daejeon, Korea.
authors: Byung Yeon
authors: BY
authors: Yu
authors: Department of Family Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Byung-Wook
authors: BW
authors: Yoo
authors: Department of Family Medicine, Bundang CHA General Hospital, CHA University College of Medicine, Seongnam, Korea.
authors: Kyung-Chae
authors: KC
authors: Park
authors: Department of Child Development and Family Studies, Institute of Human Ecology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
authors: Sun Wha
authors: SW
authors: Ok
keywords: Alcohol Use Disorder; Family Communication; Family Functioning