Alcohol Abuse is a major health and socioeconomic problem costing Americans millions of lives and billions of dollars every year. The objective of this research project is to determine laboratory tests of high accuracy to detect alcohol abuse/alcoholism in pregnant and elderly women, a group that represents a high priority research area. This will be accomplished by a panel of prominent researchers. In stage I, tentative laboratory tests and subcategories of alcohol abusers will be critically examined by the panel of experts with special reference to the population of interest. Also at this stage, procedures of sampling and other theoretical developments including patient costs and quality control for tests will also be determined. In stage II, a multivariate statistical model will be developed based on combinations of laboratory tests. For this, from a wide number of laboratory tests initially tested, specific laboratory tests associated with the triage of alcohol use/abuse/nonuse and possibly another alcohol abuse condition among the pregnant and the elderly woman will be selected. The ultimate list of tests will be compared with questionnaire instruments and re-tested in a blind study. Appropriate statistical analyses will be used to reduce or eliminate sampling variability. Thus, the project will tailor tests for the pregnant and the elderly women alcohol abusers. The conclusion will then be incorporated in a computer software system in order that they could be used by the interested health care facilities. By a correct diagnosis, therefore, this project would help in effective intervention, prevention or treatment of the problem due to alcohol among this group that has serious health consequences.
