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 12-17 years old are included in this file with limited access.

Interview Setting and Mode of Administration

The Alcohol questionnaire is administered at the Mobile Examination Center (MEC) during the MEC Interview. For Youths 12-19 years, 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 12-17 years old are included in this file with limited access. Data from participants aged 20 years and older as well as youth 18-19 years are publicly released in two separate files (i.e., ALQ_F and ALQY_F) available on the NHANES website.

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 12 YEARS - 17 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 12 YEARS - 17 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 524 524 End of Section
2 8 years old or younger 18 542
3 9 or 10 years old 27 569
4 11 or 12 years old 61 630
5 13 or 14 years old 138 768
6 15 or 16 years old 120 888
7 17 years old or older 22 910
77 Refused 4 914
99 Don't know 16 930
. Missing 79 1009

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 12 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 0 days 0 0 End of Section
2 1 or 2 days 160 160
3 3 to 9 days 92 252
4 10 to 19 days 41 293
5 20 to 39 days 43 336
6 40 to 99 days 31 367
7 100 or more days 16 383
77 Refused 7 390
99 Don't know 16 406
. Missing 603 1009

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 12 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 0 days 243 243 End of Section
2 1 or 2 days 104 347
3 3 to 5 days 42 389
4 6 to 9 days 10 399
5 10 to 19 days 4 403
6 20 to 29 days 0 403
7 All 30 days 0 403
77 Refused 3 406
99 Don't know 0 406
. Missing 603 1009

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 12 YEARS - 17 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 0 days 96 96
2 1 day 31 127
3 2 days 22 149
4 3 to 5 days 4 153
5 6 to 9 days 4 157
6 10 to 19 days 2 159
7 20 or more days 2 161
77 Refused 1 162
99 Don't know 1 163
. Missing 846 1009