Impact of personal alcohol consumption on aspects of medical student alcohol-related competencies
Impact of personal alcohol consumption on aspects of medical student alcohol-related competencies
Aim
As part of the prevention and management of alcohol-related harms, health professionals need to be competent to assess the level of alcohol use in patients. In this study, we explored how medical students’ own alcohol consumption impacts on their familiarity with alcohol brands, strengths and alcohol-related harms.
Methods
As part of a wider study investigating the concept of ‘alcohol health literacy’, this study combined an anonymous online survey, linked to an electronic alcohol ‘brand’ recognition game. Participants were medical students in their first clinical year. The survey recorded demographics, self-reported alcohol consumption (using the AUDIT-C), a visual test of relative alcohol concentrations of wine, beer and spirits, and a free-text response asking them to list alcohol-related harms. Participants then completed the brand recognition game recording accuracy and reaction time for identifying alcohol drink brands.
Results
One hundred and fifty students participated. There was a significant effect of ethnicity on drinking status, with 48% of non-white participants scoring zero on the AUDIT-C. Students who reported any alcohol consumption were more likely to correctly assess relative alcohol concentrations and were faster and more accurate at recognizing alcohol brands, which was dose dependent. Overall, only 45% correctly recognized relative alcohol strengths of drinks presented.
Conclusions
Among third-year medical students, ability to correctly identify relative strengths of alcoholic drinks is low. As might be expected, students who drink alcohol tend to identify brands and strengths more accurately. This has implications for how best to tailor the delivery of teaching and training about alcohol to ensure similar levels of clinical confidence in dealing with future patients regardless of personal experience.
Medical Students, alcohol units, knowledge, alcoholic beverages
325–330
Sinclair, Julia
be3e54d5-c6da-4950-b0ba-3cb8cdcab13c
Vaccari, Emma
88ebe887-55fb-404f-a6ca-ceb9795ab823
Saville, Franklin
2aaf1492-a320-46ff-a4fc-69fe4c8ba158
Tiwari, Abhinav
ac41bade-4864-42a9-aa6a-66b54449c930
Ainsworth, Ben
b02d78c3-aa8b-462d-a534-31f1bf164f81
Woods-Townsend, Kathryn
af927fa3-30b6-47d9-8b4d-4d254b3a7aab
May 2019
Sinclair, Julia
be3e54d5-c6da-4950-b0ba-3cb8cdcab13c
Vaccari, Emma
88ebe887-55fb-404f-a6ca-ceb9795ab823
Saville, Franklin
2aaf1492-a320-46ff-a4fc-69fe4c8ba158
Tiwari, Abhinav
ac41bade-4864-42a9-aa6a-66b54449c930
Ainsworth, Ben
b02d78c3-aa8b-462d-a534-31f1bf164f81
Woods-Townsend, Kathryn
af927fa3-30b6-47d9-8b4d-4d254b3a7aab
Sinclair, Julia, Vaccari, Emma, Saville, Franklin, Tiwari, Abhinav, Ainsworth, Ben and Woods-Townsend, Kathryn
(2019)
Impact of personal alcohol consumption on aspects of medical student alcohol-related competencies.
Alcohol and Alcoholism, 54 (3), .
(doi:10.1093/alcalc/agz033).
Abstract
Aim
As part of the prevention and management of alcohol-related harms, health professionals need to be competent to assess the level of alcohol use in patients. In this study, we explored how medical students’ own alcohol consumption impacts on their familiarity with alcohol brands, strengths and alcohol-related harms.
Methods
As part of a wider study investigating the concept of ‘alcohol health literacy’, this study combined an anonymous online survey, linked to an electronic alcohol ‘brand’ recognition game. Participants were medical students in their first clinical year. The survey recorded demographics, self-reported alcohol consumption (using the AUDIT-C), a visual test of relative alcohol concentrations of wine, beer and spirits, and a free-text response asking them to list alcohol-related harms. Participants then completed the brand recognition game recording accuracy and reaction time for identifying alcohol drink brands.
Results
One hundred and fifty students participated. There was a significant effect of ethnicity on drinking status, with 48% of non-white participants scoring zero on the AUDIT-C. Students who reported any alcohol consumption were more likely to correctly assess relative alcohol concentrations and were faster and more accurate at recognizing alcohol brands, which was dose dependent. Overall, only 45% correctly recognized relative alcohol strengths of drinks presented.
Conclusions
Among third-year medical students, ability to correctly identify relative strengths of alcoholic drinks is low. As might be expected, students who drink alcohol tend to identify brands and strengths more accurately. This has implications for how best to tailor the delivery of teaching and training about alcohol to ensure similar levels of clinical confidence in dealing with future patients regardless of personal experience.
Text
Lifelab Med student corrected version
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
In preparation date: 2019
Accepted/In Press date: 27 March 2019
e-pub ahead of print date: 26 April 2019
Published date: May 2019
Keywords:
Medical Students, alcohol units, knowledge, alcoholic beverages
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 430469
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/430469
ISSN: 0735-0414
PURE UUID: 8b136548-364b-474e-9c32-5b6e34e9ae9b
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Date deposited: 01 May 2019 16:30
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 07:47
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Contributors
Author:
Emma Vaccari
Author:
Franklin Saville
Author:
Abhinav Tiwari
Author:
Ben Ainsworth
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