Estimating blood alcohol concentration: Two computer programs and their applications in therapy and research

doi:10.1016/0306-4603(79)90021-2

Addictive Behaviors

Volume 4, Issue 1, 1979, Pages 55-60

https://doi.org/10.1016/0306-4603(79)90021-2 Get rights and content

Abstract

Two computer programs for estimating blood alcohol concentration (BAC) are described. BACTAB generates individualized tables for BAC estimation based upon a client's sex, body weight, amount of consumption, and drinking rate. ALCOMP convertes data from client self-monitoring cards into weekly summary statistics and plots a table for each individual client showing BAC estimates at each half-hour interval throughout the week. Various applications of these programs in controlled drinking therapies and in treatment outcome research are discussed.

References (21)

G.R. Caddy et al.
Self-regulation and discriminated aversive conditioning in the modification of alcoholics' drinking behavior
Behavior Therapy
(1976)
S.H. Lovibond et al.
Discriminated aversive control in the moderation of alcoholics' drinking behavior
Behavior Therapy
(1970)
S.J. Silverstein et al.
Blood alcohol level estimation and controlled drinking by chronic alcoholics
Behavior Therapy
(1974)
L.C. Sobell et al.
A self-feedback technique to monitor drinking behavior in alcoholics
Behaviour Research and Therapy
(1973)
R.E. Vogler et al.
Learning techniques for alcohol abuse
Behavior Research and Therapy
(1977)
C. Bois et al.
Discrimination of low blood alcohol levels and self-titration skills in social drinkers
Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol
(1974)
J.V. Compton et al.
Validation of the Alco-calculator
Psychological Reports
(1975)
H. Huber et al.
Blood alcohol level discrimination by nonalcoholics: The role of internal and external cues
Journal of Studies on Alcohol
(1976)
H. Kalant
Absorption diffusion, distribution, and elimination of ethanol: Effects on biological membranes
W.K. Lelbach
Organic pathology related to volume and pattern of alcohol use

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (222)

Trait impulsivity moderates rate of alcohol consumption in daily life
2024, Addictive Behaviors
Rate of alcohol consumption, the speed with which people drink, has been linked to a range of outcomes, including alcohol use disorder symptoms and increased positive affect. However, minimal work has identified who is most likely to drink at elevated rates. Impulsivity is associated with increased attention to positive reinforcers specifically (e.g., positive affect). We therefore examined whether people higher in trait impulsivity engage in faster consumption during drinking episodes.
Participants were current drinkers (N = 113; 54 people with borderline personality disorder [BPD], a disorder that involves elevated impulsivity, and 59 community people) who completed a 21-day ecological momentary assessment (EMA) protocol. Multilevel models of drinking episodes (N_observations = 3,444) examined whether self-reported trait impulsivity, measured at baseline, was associated with faster rise in estimated blood alcohol concentration (eBAC) at each follow-up period.
All UPPS sub-scales were associated with faster rise in eBAC across a drinking episode. In a multivariate model including all sub-scales as simultaneous predictors, sensation seeking and (lack of) perseverance were independently positively associated with rate of consumption. Additional analyses indicated that greater negative urgency and sensation seeking were associated with faster rises in eBAC in participants with BPD, relative to community comparisons.
In a sample that captured a wide spectrum of impulsivity, greater impulsivity was associated with drinking alcohol at a faster rate. People higher in sensation seeking and (lack of) perseverance may be prone to drink at faster rates out of a desire to maximize the hedonic effects of alcohol.
This study finds that people who are more impulsive tend to drink alcohol faster, putting them at greater risk for negative consequences. This may explain, in part, why impulsivity is linked to experiencing alcohol-related problems.
Initial evidence of delay discounting's predictive utility for alcohol self-administration in ecologically valid contexts among young adults who drink heavily
2024, Drug and Alcohol Dependence
While delay discounting is robustly associated with alcohol use disorder, whether discounting predicts real-time alcohol use behaviors is unclear. Existing support comes from laboratory studies using intravenous alcohol self-administration methods, thus limiting ecological validity and generalizability. The present study evaluated whether delay discounting predicted real-time alcohol use in naturalistic settings with and without probabilistic negative consequences for consuming larger amounts of alcohol.
This secondary analysis utilized data from three laboratory alcohol self-administration studies with young adults who engaged in frequent heavy drinking (N=206, 45% female). Participants completed a delay discounting measure before an alcohol self-administration session in an actual or simulated bar with (n=187) or without (n=19) probabilistic negative consequences (compensation loss) tied to performance on cognitive and psychomotor tasks after alcohol self-administration. Bootstrapped (unstandardized) coefficient estimates and 95% confidence intervals were utilized due to the sample size discrepancy.
Multiple regressions revealed that delay discounting did not significantly predict estimated blood alcohol concentration (eBAC) or number of drinks consumed when procedures included probabilistic negative consequences. Among participants who completed procedures without probabilistic negative consequences, delay discounting was positively associated with peak eBAC.
Counter to hypotheses, steeper delay discounting did not predict real-time alcohol use in contexts with probabilistic negative consequences, whereas preliminary evidence suggests that delay discounting predicts real-time alcohol use behaviors in contexts without probabilistic negative consequences. The specific discounting task may have impacted study findings, thus future research should consider how the sign (gain vs. loss), outcome certainty, and delay relate to alcohol consumption.
Dynamic relations among simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use, subjective responses, and problem drinking during naturally occurring drinking episodes
2023, Drug and Alcohol Dependence
Simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use (SAM) is associated with riskier drinking. However, little is known regarding mechanisms of risk during drinking episodes. The current study tested whether subjective responses to simultaneous vs. alcohol-only use (i.e., high arousal positive/reward, high arousal negative/aggression, low arousal positive/relaxation, low arousal negative/impairment) were mechanisms through which SAM use was associated with daily drinking.
Emerging adults who co-use alcohol and cannabis (N=85) completed 21 days of ecological momentary assessment with drink-contingent reports during drinking episodes. Participants reported on their simultaneous use and current subjective effects during drink reports and past-night total drinks consumed and negative consequences experienced the next morning. Three-level multilevel models (momentary, daily, person level) tested whether SAM use predicted subjective responses, and whether subjective responses mediated associations between SAM use, heavier drinking and negative consequences.
At the momentary and day-level, SAM (vs. alcohol-only) use predicted increased high arousal positive/rewarding, low arousal positive/relaxing, and low arousal negative/impairing subjective effects. SAM use indirectly predicted heavier day-level drinking and further negative consequences through high arousal positive/rewarding response. SAM use also indirectly predicted day-level negative consequences through low arousal negative/impairing response. At the person-level, more frequent SAM use predicted higher person-average high arousal positive/rewarding and low arousal positive/relaxing responses, and high arousal positive/rewarding response mediated relation between SAM frequency and heavier drinking.
Simultaneous use was associated with reward, relief, and impairment, and reward and impairment were mechanisms of risk between SAM use and riskier drinking. Findings may inform theory and just-in-time interventions seeking to reduce alcohol misuse.
Alcohol-induced blackouts among college student drinkers: A multilevel analysis
2023, Addictive Behaviors
To identify factors (manner of drinking, combined alcohol and other substance use, physiology) that are associated with alcohol-induced blackouts (AIBs) over and above estimated blood alcohol concentration (eBAC).
Students (N = 462, 51.7 % female, 87.7 % White, M_age = 20.1) were assessed across 6 weekends via e-surveys (80–97 % response rate). eBAC was calculated using standard number of drinks, drinking duration, sex, and weight. Three-level multilevel models (days, weeks, persons) were conducted to test for main effects, controlling for eBAC.
Protective behavioral strategies (PBS) were associated with decreased odds of AIBs on the daily (OR = 0.64, 95 % CI: 0.53, 0.77), weekly (OR = 0.84, 95 % CI: 0.72, 0.98), and person-levels (OR = 0.62, 95 % CI: 0.51, 0.74). Combined cannabis with alcohol was associated with increased odds of AIBs on the weekly (OR = 2.13, 95 % CI 1.13, 4.07) and person-levels (OR = 3.56, 95 % CI 1.60, 7.93). People who more frequently played drinking games (OR = 1.41, 95 % CI: 1.12, 1.77), pregamed (OR = 1.55, 95 % CI: 1.19, 2.03), and showed higher tolerance (OR = 1.22, 95 % CI: 1.08, 1.37) showed increased risk of AIBs, over and above eBAC levels.
We identified a number of daily-, weekly-, and person-level factors that uniquely contribute to the prediction of AIBs even at equivalent eBACs. Many of these factors were behavioral, suggesting that they may serve as malleable prevention targets for AIBs in college student drinkers.
Acceptability and validity of using the BACtrack skyn wrist-worn transdermal alcohol concentration sensor to capture alcohol use across 28 days under naturalistic conditions – A pilot study
2023, Alcohol
Wrist-worn transdermal alcohol concentration (TAC) sensors have the potential to provide detailed information about day-level features of alcohol use but have rarely been used in field-based research or in early adulthood (i.e., 26–40 years) alcohol users. This pilot study assessed the acceptability, user burden, and validity of using the BACtrack Skyn across 28 days in individuals' natural settings. Adults aged 26–37 (N = 11, M_age = 31.2, 55% female, 73% non-Hispanic white) participated in a study including retrospective surveys, a 28-day field protocol wearing Skyn and SCRAM sensors and completing ecological momentary assessments (EMA) of alcohol use and duration (daily morning reports and participant-initiated start/stop drinking EMAs), and follow-up interviews. Day-level features of alcohol use extracted from self-reports and/or sensors included drinks consumed, estimated Blood Alcohol Concentration (eBAC), drinking duration, peak TAC, area under the curve (AUC), rise rate, and fall rate. Repeated-measures correlations (r_rm) tested within-person associations between day-level features of alcohol use from the Skyn versus self-report or the SCRAM. Participants preferred wearing the Skyn over the SCRAM [t (10) = −6.79, p < .001, d = 2.74]. Skyn data were available for 5614 (74.2%) out of 7566 h, with 20.7% of data lost due to syncing/charging issues and 5.1% lost due to device removal. Skyn agreement for detecting drinking days was 55.5% and 70.3% when compared to self-report and the SCRAM, respectively. Correlations for drinking intensity between self-report and the Skyn were 0.35 for peak TAC, 0.52 for AUC, and 0.30 for eBAC, which were smaller than correlations between self-report and SCRAM, at 0.78 for peak TAC, 0.79 for AUC, and 0.61 for eBAC. Correlations for drinking duration were larger when comparing self-report to the Skyn (r_rm = 0.36) versus comparing self-report to the SCRAM (r_rm = 0.31). The Skyn showed moderate-to-large, significant correlations with the SCRAM for peak TAC (r_rm = 0.54), AUC (r_rm = 0.80), and drinking duration (r_rm = 0.63). Our findings support the acceptability and validity of using the Skyn for assessing alcohol use across an extended time frame (i.e., 28 days) in individuals’ natural settings, and for providing useful information about day-level features of alcohol use.
Effective prevention programming for reducing alcohol-related harms experienced by first year college students: Evaluation of the expectancy challenge alcohol literacy curriculum (ECALC)
2022, Addictive Behaviors
Citation Excerpt :
Daily alcohol consumption was obtained using a modified self-report TLFB, a reliable (r = 0.76–0.98) and valid retrospective measure of alcohol use (Sobell & Sobell, 1992). TLFB was modified to include duration of each drinking episode in hours to calculate estimated blood alcohol concentration (BAC; Matthews & Miller, 1979). Seven measures of alcohol use were computed including number of drinking days per month, mean drinks per week, mean drinks per sitting, estimated BAC, peak BAC, number of binge episodes, and peak drinks per sitting.
Prevention programs may have contributed to modest declines in alcohol use among college students in recent years, but negative consequences continue to be pervasive. First year college students (FYCS) are particularly vulnerable, and there is clearly a need for more effective methods to reduce risk. Meta-analyses focused on expectancy challenge (EC) have found this approach to be effective, but “experiential” EC that includes a drinking exercise is not suitable for most FYCS, many of whom are underage. A non-experiential alternative, the Expectancy Challenge Alcohol Literacy Curriculum (ECALC), is practical for widespread implementation. ECALC has been effective with mandated students and members of fraternities, and in the present study, we focused on evaluating effects with FYCS. In a group randomized trial, 48 class sections of a course designed for FYCS received either ECALC or an attention-matched control presentation. ECALC was associated with significant changes on six expectancy subscales of the Comprehensive Effects of Alcohol Scale (CEOA). Structural equation modeling was used to examine the mediated effects of the intervention on alcohol-related harms via alcohol expectancies. There were significant indirect effects from condition to alcohol use (IND = -0.04, p <.001) and alcohol harms (IND = -0.07, p <.001). This model accounted for 54% of the variance in alcohol use and 46% of the variance in alcohol-related harms. These findings suggest ECALC is an effective, single session group-delivered program that can be incorporated into classroom curricula.

View all citing articles on Scopus

^☆: Documentation is also available for both programs described in this report.

View full text

Estimating blood alcohol concentration: Two computer programs and their applications in therapy and research☆

Abstract

Behavior Therapy

Behavior Therapy

Behavior Therapy

Behaviour Research and Therapy

Behavior Research and Therapy

Discrimination of low blood alcohol levels and self-titration skills in social drinkers

Quarterly Journal of Studies on Alcohol

Validation of the Alco-calculator

Psychological Reports

Blood alcohol level discrimination by nonalcoholics: The role of internal and external cues

Journal of Studies on Alcohol

Absorption diffusion, distribution, and elimination of ethanol: Effects on biological membranes

Organic pathology related to volume and pattern of alcohol use