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Complete Indicator Report of Alcohol Consumption - Binge Drinking

Definition

Percentage of adults aged 18 years and older who reported binge drinking during the 30 days prior to the survey.

Numerator

Number of survey respondents who reported binge drinking during the 30 days prior to the survey.

Denominator

Number of survey respondents excluding those with missing, "Don't know/Not sure" or "Refused" responses.

Data Interpretation Issues

Question Text 1989-2005: "Considering all types of alcoholic beverages, how many times during the past 30 days did you have 5 or more drinks on an occasion?"

Question Text beginning in 2006: "Considering all types of alcoholic beverages, how many times during the past 30 days did you have X [X=5 for men, X=4 for women] or more drinks on an occasion?"

Follow-up Question starting 2005: "During the past 30 days, what is the largest number of drinks you had on any occasion?"

From 1989-2005, binge drinking on the BRFSS was defined as consuming five or more drinks of alcohol on an occasion one or more times during the past 30 days for both males and females.

Starting in 2006, the definition of binge drinking changed to consuming five or more drinks on an occasion for men, or four or more drinks on an occasion for women one or more times during the past 30 days. Data for this indicator have been analyzed using this new definition.

To reduce bias and more accurately represent population data, the BRFSS survey methodology changed. In 2009, the survey began including surveys on cellular phones in addition to landline phones. And a new weighting methodology, known as "iterative proportional fitting" (raking) was implemented. More details about these changes can be found at: http://health.utah.gov/opha/publications/brfss/Raking/Raking%20impact%202011.pdf.

As with all surveys, some error results from nonresponse (e.g., refusal to participate in the survey or to answer specific questions), and measurement (e.g., social desirability or recall bias). Error was minimized by use of strict calling protocols, good questionnaire design, standardization of interviewer behavior, interviewer training, and frequent, on-site interviewer monitoring and supervision.

Why Is This Important?

Binge drinking is an indicator of potentially serious alcohol abuse, and is related to driving under the influence of alcohol. It is a problem nationally, especially among males and young adults. Alcohol abuse is strongly associated with injuries and violence, chronic liver disease, fetal alcohol syndrome, and risk of other acute and chronic health conditions. Binge drinking among women of childbearing age is a problem because of the risk for prenatal alcohol exposure. Birth defects associated with prenatal alcohol exposure can occur during the first 6 to 8 weeks of pregnancy before a woman knows she is pregnant.

Healthy People Objective SA-14.3:

Reduce the proportion of persons engaging in binge drinking during the past month--Adults aged 18 years and older
U.S. Target: 24.4 percent

Other Objectives

One of Utah's 42 Community Health Indicators

One of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Chronic Disease Indicators.

How Are We Doing?

Using data from both landline and cell phones in 2011, it was estimated that 12.0% (crude rate) of Utah adults binge drank at least once in the 30 days prior to the survey. Utah is well below the Healthy People 2020 objective of 24.4% for this measure.

This measure of binge drinking in the past 30 days fluctuated between a high of 12% in 1993 to a low of 7.7% in 1997 during the time these rates were calculated using only data from landline phone interviews.

How Do We Compare With U.S.?

Estimates for 2011 show that 18.3% of U.S. adults reported binge drinking in the past 30 days whereas 12.0% of Utah adults reported binge drinking (crude rates).

The percentage of adults who reported binge drinking in the past 30 days was substantially lower in Utah than in the U.S. for all years reported between 1989-2011.

What Is Being Done?

The Utah Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health is the agency responsible for ensuring that substance abuse and mental health prevention and treatment services are available statewide. The Division also acts as a resource by providing general information, research, and statistics to the public regarding substances of abuse and mental health services. <http://www.dsamh.utah.gov>

Available Services

NATIONAL:
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has a toll-free referral helpline. The number is: 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

UTAH:
Dial 2-1-1 for state and community service information. Code 2-1-1 can now be accessed from anywhere in the state of Utah. 211 Info Bank, a program of Community Services Council, is a free information and referral line for health, human and community services. 211 provides information and referral on many topics.



Related Indicators

Relevant Population Characteristics

Binge drinking is more common among males and young adults in Utah.

Related Relevant Population Characteristics Indicator Reports:


Health Care System Factors

Alcohol abuse is strongly associated with unintentional injury.

Related Health Care System Factors Indicator Reports:


Risk Factors

People experiencing poor mental health are more likely to drink excessively.

Related Risk Factors Indicator Reports:


Health Status Outcomes

Alcohol abuse is associated with motor vehicle and other unintentional injury deaths.

Related Health Status Outcomes Indicator Reports:




Graphical Data Views

Percentage of Adults Who Reported Binge Drinking in the Past 30 Days, Utah and U.S., 2005-2011

::chart - missing::

Geog: BRFSS Utah vs. U.S. Year Crude Percentage of Adults Lower Limit Upper Limit
UT Old Methodology 2005 9.0% 8.0% 9.4%
UT Old Methodology 2006 9.1% 8.0% 10.4%
UT Old Methodology 2007 9.5% 8.3% 10.8%
UT Old Methodology 2008 8.2% 7.2% 9.3%
UT Old Methodology 2009 8.8% 8.0% 9.7%
UT Old Methodology 2010 8.7% 7.9% 9.6%
US Old Methodology 2005 15.5% 15.2% 15.8%
US Old Methodology 2006 15.0% 14.7% 15.3%
US Old Methodology 2007 15.4% 15.2% 15.7%
US Old Methodology 2008 15.2% 14.9% 15.4%
US Old Methodology 2009 15.2% 14.9% 15.4%
US Old Methodology 2010 14.7% 14.5% 15.0%
UT New Methodology 2009 10.4% 9.5% 11.3%
UT New Methodology 2010 10.4% 9.6% 11.2%
UT New Methodology 2011 12.0% 11.1% 12.9%
US New Methodology 2011 18.3% 18.1% 18.6%
Record Count: 16

Data Notes

A drink of alcohol is 1 can or bottle of beer, 1 glass of wine, 1 can or bottle of wine cooler, 1 cocktail, or 1 shot of liquor.  From 1989-2005, binge drinking on the BRFSS was defined as consuming five or more drinks of alcohol on an occasion one or more times during the past 30 days for both males and females. Starting in 2006, the definition of binge drinking changed to consuming five or more drinks on an occasion for men, or four or more drinks on an occasion for women one or more times during the past 30 days. Data for this graph have been analyzed using the new definition, which is only available from 2005 forward (refer to 'Data Interpretation Issues' for question text) U.S. data are the average value for all states and the District of Columbia; they do not include U.S. territories. These rates are crude rates, not age-adjusted, given that the Healthy People 2020 Objective is based on crude rates.

Data Sources

Utah Data: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Office of Public Health Assessment, Utah Department of Health. U.S. Data: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), Division of Behavioral Surveillance, CDC Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services.



Percentage of Adults Who Reported Binge Drinking in the Past 30 Days by Age Group and Sex, Utah, 2011

::chart - missing::

Males vs. Females Age Group Percentage of Adults Lower Limit Upper Limit
Male 18-34 23.4% 20.6% 26.4%
Male 35-49 17.0% 14.6% 19.7%
Male 50-64 12.4% 10.3% 15.0%
Male 65+ 3.6% 2.5% 5.1%
Female 18-34 9.9% 8.2% 11.9%
Female 35-49 7.2% 5.9% 8.8%
Female 50-64 5.1% 4.0% 6.4%
Female 65+ 1.9% 1.3% 2.8%
Record Count: 8

Data Notes

A drink of alcohol is 1 can or bottle of beer, 1 glass of wine, 1 can or bottle of wine cooler, 1 cocktail, or 1 shot of liquor.  The 2011 survey data for this graph includes interviews conducted on cellular phones in addition to landline phones, and a new weighting methodology, known as "iterative proportional fitting" (raking).

Data Sources

Utah Data: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Office of Public Health Assessment, Utah Department of Health.



Percentage of Adults 25 and Older Who Reported Binge Drinking in the Past 30 Days by Education, Utah, 2011

::chart - missing::

Education Level Percentage of Adults 25+ Lower Limit Upper Limit
Less Than High School 17.4% 13.7% 22.0%
H.S. Grad or G.E.D. 15.7% 13.9% 17.7%
Some Post High School 11.2% 9.8% 12.9%
College Graduate 6.4% 5.6% 7.4%
Record Count: 4

Data Notes

A drink of alcohol is 1 can or bottle of beer, 1 glass of wine, 1 can or bottle of wine cooler, 1 cocktail, or 1 shot of liquor.  The 2011 survey data for this graph includes interviews conducted on cellular phones in addition to landline phones, and a new weighting methodology, known as "iterative proportional fitting" (raking). These rates are crude rates, not age-adjusted, given that the Healthy People 2020 Objective is based on crude rates.

Data Sources

Utah Data: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Office of Public Health Assessment, Utah Department of Health.



Percentage of Adults Who Reported Binge Drinking in the Past 30 Days by Ethnicity, Utah, 2011

::chart - missing::

Hispanic Ethnicity Crude Percentage of Adults Lower Limit Upper Limit
Hispanic 16.5% 13.5% 20.1%
Non-Hispanic 11.4% 10.6% 12.3%
Record Count: 2

Data Notes

A drink of alcohol is 1 can or bottle of beer, 1 glass of wine, 1 can or bottle of wine cooler, 1 cocktail, or 1 shot of liquor.  The 2011 survey data for this graph includes interviews conducted on cellular phones in addition to landline phones, and a new weighting methodology, known as "iterative proportional fitting" (raking). These rates are crude rates, not age-adjusted, given that the Healthy People 2020 Objective is based on crude rates.

Data Sources

Utah Data: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Office of Public Health Assessment, Utah Department of Health.



Percentage of Adults Who Reported Binge Drinking in the Past 30 Days by Race, Utah, 2009-2011

::chart - missing::

Race Crude Percentage of Adults Lower Limit Upper Limit Note
American Indian/Native Alaskan 14.7% 9.7% 21.6%
Asian 8.3% 5.2% 13.2%
Black 14.1% 8.6% 22.4%
Pacific Islander 9.0% 4.6% 16.9% *
White 10.7% 10.2% 11.2%
Record Count: 5

Data Notes

A drink of alcohol is 1 can or bottle of beer, 1 glass of wine, 1 can or bottle of wine cooler, 1 cocktail, or 1 shot of liquor.  *Use caution when interpreting rate for Pacific Islander; this estimate does not meet the UDOH standards for reliability. The 2009-2011 Utah survey data for this graph includes interviews conducted on cellular phones in addition to landline phones, and a new weighting methodology, known as "iterative proportional fitting" (raking). These rates are crude rates, not age-adjusted, given that the Healthy People 2020 Objective is based on crude rates.

Data Sources

Utah Data: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Office of Public Health Assessment, Utah Department of Health.



Binge Drinking in the Past 30 Days by Local Health District, Utah, 2011

::chart - missing::

Local Health District Crude percentage of Adults Lower Limit Upper Limit
Bear River 9.4% 6.1% 14.0%
Central 9.3% 6.4% 13.3%
Davis County 9.6% 7.6% 12.1%
Salt Lake County 14.8% 13.4% 16.4%
Southeastern 13.4% 9.3% 19.1%
Southwest 8.7% 5.8% 12.8%
Summit 20.6% 15.2% 27.4%
Tooele 16.3% 12.1% 21.5%
TriCounty 12.4% 8.9% 17.0%
Utah County 8.4% 6.5% 10.8%
Wasatch 12.2% 7.4% 19.3%
Weber-Morgan 12.8% 10.1% 16.1%
State 12.0% 11.1% 12.9%
Record Count: 13

Data Notes

A drink of alcohol is 1 can or bottle of beer, 1 glass of wine, 1 can or bottle of wine cooler, 1 cocktail, or 1 shot of liquor.  The 2011 survey data for this graph includes interviews conducted on cellular phones in addition to landline phones, and a new weighting methodology, known as "iterative proportional fitting" (raking). These rates are crude rates, not age-adjusted, given that the Healthy People 2020 Objective is based on crude rates.

Data Sources

Utah Data: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Office of Public Health Assessment, Utah Department of Health.



Percentage of Adults Who Reported Binge Drinking in the Past 30 Days by Utah Small Area, 2009-2011

::chart - missing::

Utah Small Areas Crude Percentage of Adults Lower Limit Upper Limit Note
Brigham City 12.4% 7.8% 19.3%
Other Box Elder Co. 4.8% 2.7% 8.3%
Logan 10.1% 7.2% 14.0%
Other Cache/Rich Co. 10.2% 7.0% 14.5%
Ben Lomond 12.1% 8.7% 16.6%
Morgan/East Weber Co. 7.6% 4.9% 11.6%
Downtown Ogden 14.9% 10.8% 20.4%
South Ogden 15.0% 10.4% 21.1%
Roy/Hooper 14.7% 11.0% 19.3%
Riverdale 10.5% 7.0% 15.5%
Clearfield/Hill AFB 12.2% 9.0% 16.4%
Layton 8.9% 6.6% 11.8%
Syracuse/Kaysville 8.4% 5.4% 12.9%
Farmington/Centerville 8.8% 5.6% 13.7%
Woods Cross/North SL 12.7% 8.2% 19.1%
Bountiful 5.3% 3.0% 9.1%
Rose Park 21.7% 15.7% 29.2%
Avenues 17.5% 12.7% 23.6%
Foothill/U of U 16.0% 10.5% 23.7%
Magna 14.6% 10.1% 20.6%
Glendale 20.2% 14.2% 27.9%
West Valley West 14.4% 11.3% 18.1%
West Valley East 11.6% 8.3% 16.0%
Downtown Salt Lake 24.3% 19.8% 29.4%
South Salt Lake 16.6% 11.3% 23.7%
Millcreek 16.3% 13.2% 20.0%
Holladay 12.6% 9.5% 16.7%
Cottonwood 15.4% 11.8% 19.9%
Kearns 14.6% 11.2% 18.7%
Taylorsville 11.7% 8.3% 16.4%
Murray 11.0% 7.7% 15.7%
Midvale 12.4% 8.4% 17.8%
W. Jordan Northeast 11.5% 8.1% 16.1%
W. Jordan Southeast 14.2% 10.3% 19.2%
W. Jordan West, Copperton 13.9% 9.9% 19.2%
South Jordan 5.8% 3.9% 8.5%
Sandy Center 12.4% 9.5% 16.1%
Sandy, Northeast 8.5% 5.6% 12.6%
Sandy, Southeast 8.7% 5.9% 12.7%
Riverton/Draper 13.0% 10.3% 16.2%
Tooele Co. 12.0% 9.7% 14.7%
Lehi/Cedar Valley 4.4% 2.8% 6.9%
American Fork/Alpine 2.9% 1.5% 5.7% *
Pleasant Grove/Lindon 2.2% 8.8% 35.1% *
North Orem 8.9% 4.9% 15.6%
West Orem 4.0% 1.9% 8.2% *
East Orem 4.8% 2.2% 10.1% *
Provo/BYU 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% **
Provo South 5.8% 3.6% 9.3%
Springville/Spanish Fork 8.0% 5.5% 11.5%
Utah Co. South 10.7% 6.7% 16.7%
Summit Co. 19.8% 16.7% 23.3%
Wasatch Co. 12.6% 9.0% 17.4%
TriCounty LHD 13.4% 10.5% 17.0%
Juab/Millard/Sanpete Co. 8.6% 6.4% 11.6%
Sevier/Piute/Wayne Co. 8.8% 6.3% 12.2%
Carbon/Emery Co. 12.0% 9.3% 15.2%
Grand/San Juan Co. 12.5% 8.7% 17.6%
St. George 9.2% 6.1% 13.4%
Other Washington Co. 5.2% 3.5% 7.7%
Cedar City 8.9% 5.9% 13.2%
Other Southwest 13.9% 9.3% 20.4%
State 12.0% 11.1% 12.9%
Record Count: 63

Data Notes

A drink of alcohol is 1 can or bottle of beer, 1 glass of wine, 1 can or bottle of wine cooler, 1 cocktail, or 1 shot of liquor.  *Use caution in interpreting rates for American Fork/Alpine, Pleasant Grove/Lindon, West Orem, and East Orem; the estimates have a relative standard error greater than 30% and do not meet UDOH standards for reliability. **Data have been suppressed for Provo/BYU because the sample size is too small to produce a reliable estimate. A description of the Utah Small Areas may be found on IBIS at the following URL: http://ibis.health.utah.gov/query/Help.html.

Data Sources

Utah Data: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Office of Public Health Assessment, Utah Department of Health.


References and Community Resources

NATIONAL:
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSA) Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator: http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/

National Institutes of Health: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: www.niaaa.nih.gov

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Alcohol and Public Health, web site: http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/

UTAH:
Utah Department of Human Services
Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health
195 North 1950 West
Salt Lake City, Utah 84116
Phone: (801) 538- 3939
Fax: (801) 538-9892
http://www.dsamh.utah.gov

More information on the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System may be found on the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - http://www.cdc.gov/brfss/

More Resources and Links

Evidence-based community health improvement ideas and interventions may be found at the following sites:

Additional indicator data by state and county may be found on these Websites:

Medical literature can be queried at the PubMed website.

For an on-line medical dictionary, click on this Dictionary link.

Page Content Updated On 04/13/2013, Published on 05/06/2013
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Office of Public Health Assessment, Center for Health Data, Utah Department of Health, Salt Lake City, UT 84114-2101, Telephone: 801-538-9259, Website: http://health.utah.gov/opha/OPHA_BRFSS.htm, Email: jwratha@utah.gov
The information provided above is from the Utah Department of Health's Center for Health Data IBIS-PH web site (http://ibis.health.utah.gov). The information published on this website may be reproduced without permission. Please use the following citation: "Retrieved Wed, 19 June 2013 11:24:13 from Utah Department of Health, Center for Health Data, Indicator-Based Information System for Public Health Web site: http://ibis.health.utah.gov".

Content updated: Wed, 19 June 2013 11:24:13