- Title
- Prevalence and predictors of alcohol involvement in cases attended by the ambulance service, and the role of consumption on licensed premises
- Creator
- Bowman, Jenny; Sidebottom, Chris; Gilham, Karen; Wiggers, John
- Relation
- Psychology & Health Vol. 19, Issue S1, p. 26-27
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08870440412331291490
- Publisher
- Routledge
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2004
- Description
- Objectives: The consequences of acute excessive alcohol consumption for the health and wellbeing of individuals and the community are significant, with drinking on licensed premises accounting for a disproportionate amount of harm. Most data arises from studies undertaken in hospital admission and emergency departments, with significant limitations. Data from ambulance attendances has a potential to contribute to a more accurate picture of alcohol-related harm in the community, but has as yet not been tested. The objectives of this study are: 1. To determine the prevalence and predictors of alcohol involvement in cases attended by the ambulance service 2. To determine the prevalance and predictors of alcohol consumption having occurred on licensed premises, and 3. To gauge the extent of ‘new’ alcohol-related harm captured that would not be included in hospital data. Methods: One large ambulance station and its officers in Newcastle, NSW, participated. Data was collected from alcohol-related items added to the case sheet information routinely recorded by ambulance officers, and collected for all cases attended over a two-month period. Results: Alcohol was involved in 16% of the 1358 eligible cases from which data were available over the study period, and for 44% of these cases, alcohol had been consumed on a licensed premise. Factors associated with cases of alcohol involvement and with cases where alcohol consumption had occurred on licensed premises, were: being male; young; weekend as opposed to weekday; nighttime as opposed to day-time; and presenting with ‘trauma’ as opposed to other conditions. Cases where alcohol was involved were three times less likely to be transported to hospital, than in those cases where alcohol was not involved. Conclusions: The extent of alcohol-related harm evident in cases attended by ambulance was substantial, and the role of drinking on licensed premises evident. The study demonstrated the method of data collection used to be feasible, and that a substantial amount of ‘new’ alcohol related harm was captured. (Abstract presented at 8th Annual Conference of the European Health Psychology Society)
- Subject
- ambulance service; alcohol consumption; conference abstracts
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1322182
- Identifier
- uon:24529
- Identifier
- ISSN:0887-0446
- Language
- eng
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