Prevalence of Heavy Drinking and Risky Sexual Behaviors in Adult Emergency Department Patients.
BACKGROUND
The study aim was to assess the prevalence and co-occurrence of alcohol and sexual risk behaviors among emergency department (ED) patients in community hospitals.


METHODS
Systematic screening of ED patients (N = 6,486; 56.5% female) was conducted in 2 community hospitals in the northeast during times with high patient volume, generally between the hours of 10 AM to 8 PM, Monday through Saturday. Screening occurred from May 2011 through November 2013. Assessment included validated measures of alcohol use and sexual risk behavior.


RESULTS
Overall results identified high rates of alcohol use, sexual risk behaviors, and their co-occurrence in this sample of ED patients. Specifically, ED patients in between the ages of 18 and 35 were consistently highest in hazardous alcohol use (positive on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test or endorsing heavy episodic drinking [HED]), sexual risk behaviors, and the co-occurrence of alcohol and sex-risk behaviors.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings show a high co-occurrence of hazardous drinking and unprotected sex among ED patients and highlight the role of HED as a factor associated with sexual risk behavior. Efforts to integrate universal screening for the co-occurrence of alcohol and sexual risk behavior in ED settings are warranted; brief interventions delivered to ED patients addressing the co-occurrence of alcohol and sexual risk behaviors have the potential to decrease the risk of sexually transmitted infections and HIV among a large number of patients.
Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island.|Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island.
Nadine R
NR
Mastroleo
Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island.|Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island.
Don
D
Operario
Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island.|Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island.
Nancy P
NP
Barnett
Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island.|Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island.
Suzanne M
SM
Colby
Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island.|Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island.
Christopher W
CW
Kahler
Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island.|Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island.
Peter M
PM
Monti
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009511:New England / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D047568:Unsafe Sex / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
Alcohol; Emergency Department; Sex Risk