Table of Contents

Component Description

The alcohol use (ALQ) questions focus on lifetime and current use (past 12 months). Questions are not specific to type of alcohol used.

Eligible Sample

Participants aged 12 years and older were eligible. Only data from participants aged 18-19 years old are included in this file.

Interview Setting and Mode of Administration

The Alcohol questionnaire is administered at the Mobile Examination Center (MEC) during the MEC Interview. For survey participants 12-19 years old, questions were self-administered using the Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interviewing – ACASI system.

The ACASI was conducted in either English or Spanish. The ACASI enables respondents to hear questions through earphones as well as read questions on the computer screen. Respondents move at their own speed and touch the screen to indicate their response. No proxy respondents or translators were used in situations when the respondents could not self-report.

Mentally impaired individuals or participants who were unable to understand English or Spanish were not asked these questions.

Quality Assurance & Quality Control

For details on the QA/QC process for this component, please refer to the MEC Interview Manual on the NHANES website.

Data Processing and Editing

The data were edited for completeness, consistency, and illogical values.

Analytic Notes

Please refer to the NHANES Analytic Guidelines  and the on-line NHANES Tutorial for further details on the use of sample weights and other analytic issues.

Information on alcohol use is collected from all participants aged 12 years and older. Only data from participants aged 18-19 years are included in this data file. Data from participants aged 20 years and older are released in a separate file, ALQ_F, available on the NHANES website.  A special use data file for participants 12-17 years, ALQY_F_R, is available through the NCHS Research Data Center (RDC).

Codebook and Frequencies

SEQN - Respondent sequence number

Variable Name:
SEQN
SAS Label:
Respondent sequence number
English Text:
Respondent sequence number.
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 19 YEARS

ALQ010 - Age when first drank alcohol

Variable Name:
ALQ010
SAS Label:
Age when first drank alcohol
English Text:
English Text: The following questions ask about alcohol use. This includes beer, wine, wine coolers, and liquor such as rum, gin, vodka, or whiskey. This does not include drinking a few sips of wine for religious purposes. How old were you when you had your first drink of alcohol, other than a few sips?
English Instructions:
VERBAL INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please select one of the following choices.
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 19 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 I have never had a drink of alcohol, other than a few sips 56 56 End of Section
2 8 years old or younger 8 64
3 9 or 10 years old 7 71
4 11 or 12 years old 8 79
5 13 or 14 years old 36 115
6 15 or 16 years old 69 184
7 17 years old or older 80 264
77 Refused 1 265
99 Don't know 1 266
. Missing 35 301

ALD020 - # days drank alcohol over lifetime

Variable Name:
ALD020
SAS Label:
# days drank alcohol over lifetime
English Text:
During your life, on how many days have you had at least one drink of alcohol?
English Instructions:
VERBAL INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please select one of the following choices.
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 19 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 0 days 0 0 End of Section
2 1 or 2 days 48 48
3 3 to 9 days 36 84
4 10 to 19 days 25 109
5 20 to 39 days 31 140
6 40 to 99 days 26 166
7 100 or more days 41 207
77 Refused 1 208
99 Don't know 2 210
. Missing 91 301

ALD030 - # days drank alcohol over past 30 days

Variable Name:
ALD030
SAS Label:
# days drank alcohol over past 30 days
English Text:
During the past 30 days, on how many days did you have at least one drink of alcohol?
English Instructions:
VERBAL INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please select one of the following choices.
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 19 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 0 days 78 78 End of Section
2 1 or 2 days 67 145
3 3 to 5 days 32 177
4 6 to 9 days 15 192
5 10 to 19 days 14 206
6 20 to 29 days 4 210
7 All 30 days 0 210
77 Refused 0 210
99 Don't know 0 210
. Missing 91 301

ALD040 - # days w/5 or more drinks/past 30 days

Variable Name:
ALD040
SAS Label:
# days w/5 or more drinks/past 30 days
English Text:
During the past 30 days, on how many days did you have 5 or more drinks of alcohol in a row, that is, within a couple of hours?
English Instructions:
VERBAL INSTRUCTIONS TO SP: Please select one of the following choices.
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 19 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 0 days 55 55
2 1 day 23 78
3 2 days 16 94
4 3 to 5 days 13 107
5 6 to 9 days 13 120
6 10 to 19 days 8 128
7 20 or more days 4 132
77 Refused 0 132
99 Don't know 0 132
. Missing 169 301