A comparison between ecological momentary assessment and the adapted-quick drinking screen: Alcohol mixed with energy drinks

Johnson, Sean J.; Verster, Joris C.; Alford, Chris

Abstract

AIMS: To compare alcohol consumption and risk-taking behaviours on alcohol mixed with energy drink (AMED) and alcohol-only (AO) drinking occasions collected via ecological momentary assessment (EMA) versus retrospective survey methods (adapted-Quick Drinking Screen: a-QDS). METHODS: Completing participants were 52 university students who reported AMED consumption during the 30-day data collection period. Alcohol consumption and risk-taking behaviours were captured for recreational AMED and AO consumption occasions using a smartphone-based app across 30days. Data were aggregated for comparison with the a-QDS conducted at the end of data collection. RESULTS: Irrespective of data collection method, alcohol was consumed more frequently and at higher quantities on the heaviest drinking occasions when consumed alone compared with when it was mixed with energy drinks. Consistent with this finding, more risk-taking behaviours were experienced on AO occasions compared with AMED occasions. Compared with the a-QDS, the quantity of alcohol consumed on the average and heaviest drinking occasion was significantly higher when reported via EMA. This was consistent across both AO and AMED drinking occasions. CONCLUSION: EMA provides a more valid measure of consumption quantity compared with retrospective recall, which was susceptible to under-reporting, although this was not differentially affected across consumption occasions. In line with previous research, this study demonstrated that mixing alcohol with energy drinks does not increase alcohol consumption or risk-taking behaviours.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 23, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Jan 17, 2022
• Publication Date: 2022-03
• Deposit Date: Feb 21, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 18, 2022
• Journal: Alcohol and alcoholism (Oxford, Oxfordshire)
• Print ISSN: 0735-0414
• Electronic ISSN: 1464-3502
• Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 57
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 630-640
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/alcalc/agab086
• Keywords: General Medicine, Ecological Momentary Assessment, Adapted-Quick Drinking Screen, Alcohol, Energy Drinks
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/9047924
• Publisher URL: https://academic.oup.com/alcalc/
• Additional Information: Free to Download