Table of Contents

Component Description

The Alcohol Use Questionnaire (variable name prefix ALQ) focuses 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; however, only data from participants who were ages 18 and over are included in this file.

A special use data file for participants aged 12-17, ALQ_J_R, is available through the NCHS Research Data Center (RDC).

Interview Setting and Mode of Administration

The ALQ section is administered at the Mobile Examination Center (MEC) during the MEC Interview, except the question on binge drinking frequency in the past 30 days (ALQ170), which is asked at the end of the dietary interview in the MEC. For adults 18 years and older, questions were asked, by trained interviewers, using the Computer-Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) system.

Quality Assurance & Quality Control

The CAPI system is programmed with built-in consistency checks to reduce data entry errors. CAPI also uses online help screens to assist interviewers in defining key terms used in the questionnaire.

For details on the QA/QC process for this component, please refer to the MEC Interviewer Procedures manual and the MEC In-Person Dietary Interviewers manual on the NHANES website.

Data Processing and Editing

The data were edited for completeness, consistency, and illogical values. Because the data are based on self-reports, not all inconsistencies could be resolved. It is recommended that analysts review the data carefully prior to analysis.

Analytic Notes

The NHANES alcohol questions asked to adults 18 and over were changed between the 2015-2016 and 2017-2018 data collection cycles. No changes were made to questions asked to adolescent participants. Among adults:

• Some questions remained essentially unchanged (ALQ130, ALQ151);
• Some questions were dropped (ALQ101, ALQ110);
• Some questions were added (ALQ111, ALQ270, ALQ280, ALQ290);
• Some questions were changed, so participants could choose from a list of alcohol use categories instead of asking them to estimate alcohol use on a continuous scale. (Specifically, ALQ120Q and ALQ120U became ALQ121. Similarly, ALQ141Q and ALQ141U became ALQ142); and
• One question (ALQ160) was changed and moved from the MEC interview to the end of the dietary interview (ALQ170) in the MEC.

The changes were made based on:

• Recommendations from subject matter experts from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) in the National Institutes of Health.
• Field observations and audio recordings of MEC interviews indicating that some participants had difficulty recalling quantitative estimates of alcohol use for amount and frequency on a continuous scale.
• Research conducted in NCHS’s Collaborating Center for Questionnaire Design and Evaluation Research determined that asking participants to recall alcohol use for multiple recall periods (i.e., lifetime, past 12 months and past 30 days) was confusing. They recommended having fewer recall time periods during one interview setting. Therefore, the lifetime and 12-month questions were retained in the MEC interview, and the 30-day recall question was moved to the end of the dietary interview in MEC where other 30-day recall questions were asked about seafood consumption.
• Gaining consistency between federal surveys by changing the wording in question ALQ160, which asked about multiple drinks “in about a 2-hour period” to “on an occasion” and renaming it ALQ170 to match the question in the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).

Regarding question ALQ170, it was asked in a different survey component (i.e., dietary recall), so there will be respondents to ALQ170 without any other alcohol use data and vice versa. Consistent with the approach used in the National Health Interview Survey, the phrase “on an occasion” was self-defined by each participant.

All the ALQ data were collected in the MEC; therefore, exam sample weights should be used for the analyses. 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.

 

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 - 150 YEARS

ALQ111 - Ever had a drink of any kind of alcohol

Variable Name:
ALQ111
SAS Label:
Ever had a drink of any kind of alcohol
English Text:
The next questions are about drinking alcoholic beverages. Included are liquor (such as whiskey or gin), beer, wine, wine coolers, and any other type of alcoholic beverage. In {your/SP's} entire life, {have you/has he/has she} had at least 1 drink of any kind of alcohol, not counting small tastes or sips? By a drink, I mean a 12 oz. beer, a 5 oz. glass of wine, or one and a half ounces of liquor.
English Instructions:
HAND CARD ALQ1
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 4545 4545
2 No 585 5130 End of Section
7 Refused 0 5130
9 Don't know 0 5130
. Missing 403 5533

ALQ121 - Past 12 mo how often have alcohol drink

Variable Name:
ALQ121
SAS Label:
Past 12 mo how often have alcohol drink
English Text:
During the past 12 months, about how often did {you/SP} drink any type of alcoholic beverage? PROBE: How many days per week, per month, or per year did {you/SP} drink?
English Instructions:
HAND CARD ALQ2
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 Never in the last year 1049 1049 ALQ151
1 Every day 142 1191
2 Nearly every day 155 1346
3 3 to 4 times a week 273 1619
4 2 times a week 323 1942
5 Once a week 340 2282
6 2 to 3 times a month 606 2888
7 Once a month 351 3239
8 7 to 11 times in the last year 299 3538
9 3 to 6 times in the last year 476 4014
10 1 to 2 times in the last year 527 4541
77 Refused 2 4543
99 Don't know 2 4545
. Missing 988 5533

ALQ130 - Avg # alcohol drinks/day - past 12 mos

Variable Name:
ALQ130
SAS Label:
Avg # alcohol drinks/day - past 12 mos
English Text:
During the past 12 months, on those days that {you/SP} drank alcoholic beverages, on the average, how many drinks did {you/he/she} have? By a drink, I mean a 12 oz. beer, a 5 oz. glass of wine, or one and a half ounces of liquor.)
English Instructions:
ENTER # OF DRINKS. IF LESS THAN 1 DRINK, ENTER '1'.
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Hard Edits:
1 to 14
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 to 13 Range of Values 3470 3470
15 15 drinks or more 19 3489
777 Refused 1 3490
999 Don't know 5 3495
. Missing 2038 5533

ALQ142 - # days have 4 or 5 drinks/past 12 mos

Variable Name:
ALQ142
SAS Label:
# days have 4 or 5 drinks/past 12 mos
English Text:
During the past 12 months, about how often did {you/SP} have {DISPLAY NUMBER} or more drinks of any alcoholic beverage? PROBE: How many days per week, per month, or per year did {you/SP} have {DISPLAY NUMBER} or more drinks in a single day?
English Instructions:
HAND CARD ALQ2 INTERVIEWER INSTRUCTION: IF SP ANSWERS NONE, PLEASE CODE '0', NEVER IN THE LAST YEAR. CAPI INSTRUCTION: IF SP = MALE, DISPLAY = 5 IF SP = FEMALE, DISPLAY = 4 HARD EDIT: ALQ142 CANNOT HAVE A LOWER CODED VALUE THAN ALQ121, UNLESS ALQ142 IS CODED '0'. ERROR MESSAGE: "SP HAS REPORTED DRINKING MORE TIMES IN THIS QUESTION THAN WAS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED IN ALQ121."
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 Never in the last year 2051 2051 ALQ151
1 Every day 34 2085
2 Nearly every day 26 2111
3 3 to 4 times a week 62 2173
4 2 times a week 103 2276
5 Once a week 105 2381
6 2 to 3 times a month 214 2595
7 Once a month 142 2737
8 7 to 11 times in the last year 96 2833
9 3 to 6 times in the last year 235 3068
10 1 to 2 times in the last year 418 3486
77 Refused 2 3488
99 Don't know 7 3495
. Missing 2038 5533

ALQ270 - # times 4-5 drinks in 2 hrs/past 12 mos

Variable Name:
ALQ270
SAS Label:
# times 4-5 drinks in 2 hrs/past 12 mos
English Text:
During the past 12 months, about how often did {you/SP} have {DISPLAY NUMBER} or more drinks in a period of two hours or less?
English Instructions:
HAND CARD ALQ2 CAPI INSTRUCTION: IF SP = MALE, DISPLAY = 5 IF SP= FEMALE, DISPLAY = 4 HARD EDIT: ALQ270 CANNOT HAVE A LOWER CODED VALUE THAN ALQ121, UNLESS ALQ.270 IS CODED '0'. ERROR MESSAGE: "SP HAS REPORTED DRINKING MORE TIMES IN THIS QUESTION THAN WAS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED IN ALQ121."
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 Never in the last year 766 766
1 Every day 12 778
2 Nearly every day 18 796
3 3 to 4 times a week 21 817
4 2 times a week 37 854
5 Once a week 60 914
6 2 to 3 times a month 56 970
7 Once a month 85 1055
8 7 to 11 times in the last year 37 1092
9 3 to 6 times in the last year 78 1170
10 1 to 2 times in the last year 259 1429
77 Refused 2 1431
99 Don't know 8 1439
. Missing 4094 5533

ALQ280 - # times 8+ drinks in 1 day/past 12 mos

Variable Name:
ALQ280
SAS Label:
# times 8+ drinks in 1 day/past 12 mos
English Text:
During the past 12 months, about how often did {you/SP} have 8 or more drinks in a single day?
English Instructions:
HAND CARD ALQ2 HARD EDIT: ALQ280 CANNOT HAVE A LOWER CODED VALUE THAN ALQ121, UNLESS ALQ.280 IS CODED '0'. ERROR MESSAGE: "SP HAS REPORTED DRINKING MORE TIMES IN THIS QUESTION THAN WAS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED IN ALQ121."
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 Never in the last year 917 917 ALQ151
1 Every day 9 926
2 Nearly every day 16 942
3 3 to 4 times a week 17 959
4 2 times a week 28 987
5 Once a week 44 1031
6 2 to 3 times a month 46 1077
7 Once a month 55 1132
8 7 to 11 times in the last year 38 1170
9 3 to 6 times in the last year 72 1242
10 1 to 2 times in the last year 190 1432
77 Refused 2 1434
99 Don't know 5 1439
. Missing 4094 5533

ALQ290 - # times 12+ drinks in 1 day/past 12 mos

Variable Name:
ALQ290
SAS Label:
# times 12+ drinks in 1 day/past 12 mos
English Text:
During the past 12 months, about how often did {you/SP} have 12 or more drinks in a single day?
English Instructions:
HAND CARD ALQ2 HARD EDIT: ALQ290 CANNOT HAVE A LOWER CODED VALUE THAN ALQ121, UNLESS ALQ.290 IS CODED '0'. ERROR MESSAGE: "SP HAS REPORTED DRINKING MORE TIMES IN THIS QUESTION THAN WAS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED IN ALQ121."
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 Never in the last year 269 269
1 Every day 2 271
2 Nearly every day 6 277
3 3 to 4 times a week 8 285
4 2 times a week 14 299
5 Once a week 29 328
6 2 to 3 times a month 27 355
7 Once a month 25 380
8 7 to 11 times in the last year 19 399
9 3 to 6 times in the last year 29 428
10 1 to 2 times in the last year 89 517
77 Refused 1 518
99 Don't know 4 522
. Missing 5011 5533

ALQ151 - Ever have 4/5 or more drinks every day?

Variable Name:
ALQ151
SAS Label:
Ever have 4/5 or more drinks every day?
English Text:
Was there ever a time or times in {your/SP's} life when {you/he/she} drank {DISPLAY NUMBER} or more drinks of any kind of alcoholic beverage almost every day?
English Instructions:
CAPI INSTRUCTION: IF SP = MALE, DISPLAY = 5 IF SP = FEMALE, DISPLAY = 4.
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 680 680
2 No 3857 4537
7 Refused 1 4538
9 Don't know 6 4544
. Missing 989 5533

ALQ170 - Past 30 days # times 4-5 drinks on an oc

Variable Name:
ALQ170
SAS Label:
Past 30 days # times 4-5 drinks on an oc
English Text:
Considering all types of alcoholic beverages, during the past 30 days, how many times did you have {5/4} or more drinks on an occasion?
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Hard Edits:
0 to 20
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
0 to 20 Range of Values 3411 3411
30 More than 20 times a month 41 3452
777 Refused 18 3470
999 Don't know 17 3487
. Missing 2046 5533