Table 1.
Characteristics of Study Sample (N = 4,198)
| Characteristics | N | (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Age category | ||
| <50 | 731 | (17.4) |
| 50–64 | 1,790 | (42.6) |
| ≥65 | 1,677 | (40.0) |
| Female | 246 | (5.9) |
| Race | ||
| American Indian/Alaskan Native | 35 | (0.8) |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 102 | (2.4) |
| Black | 425 | (10.1) |
| Unknown/missing | 632 | (15) |
| White | 3,004 | (71.6) |
| Marital status | ||
| Married | 2,043 | (48.7) |
| Never married | 578 | (13.8) |
| Separated, divorced, widowed | 1,499 | (35.7) |
| Unknown | 78 | (1.9) |
| ≥50% service connected disability | 850 | (20.3) |
| Diagnosis for tobacco abuse or dependence¥ | 284 | (6.8) |
| Number of drug use disorder diagnoses¥ | ||
| 1 | 87 | (2.1) |
| ≥2 | 30 | (0.7) |
| Diagnosis for alcohol abuse or dependence¥ | 337 | (8.0) |
| One or more alcohol-attributable medical diagnoses (e.g., alcoholic cirrhosis)¥ | 37 | (0.9) |
| One or more medical conditions associated with unhealthy alcohol use (e.g., cirrhosis, not specifically alcohol-attributable)¥ | 280 | (6.7) |
| VA addictions treatment | 96 | (2.3) |
| Mean AUDIT-C score at baseline* (SD) | 5.42 | (2.21) |
| Mean Deyo Index score¥** (SD) | 1.67 | (1.20) |
| Number of mental health diagnoses¥*** | ||
| 1 | 395 | (9.4) |
| ≥2 | 203 | (4.8) |
¥Based on ICD-9 diagnoses or visit dates obtained for the year prior to baseline alcohol screening
*Range 3–12
**Among the 895 patients who had any comorbid diagnoses
***Does not include diagnoses for substance use disorders