What Does an Alcohol Use Survey Count? Lessons from a Rwanda Study
A survey can ask whether someone drank recently and separately screen for patterns associated with alcohol-related problems. Those questions produce different numbers, even when researchers ask them of the same people.
Who answered and what they reported
Researchers surveyed 2,479 people ages 14 to 35 in households in 20 of Rwanda’s 30 districts from June through November 2011. About 34% reported alcohol use in the past month. That percentage describes what respondents reported over a defined period, across a sample that included both adolescents and adults.
What the screening questions add
The researchers also used the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, or AUDIT. Its questions address drinking patterns and related experiences to generate a screening score. Reporting a drink in the previous month and reaching an AUDIT screening threshold are different outcomes. When presenting survey figures to a jury or another general audience, specify the ages, dates, and exact question behind the number. This study provides a historical snapshot of its survey population.
Source
Kanyoni and colleagues, BMC Research Notes (2015). Journal article · Full text.
