The broad goal of this proposal is to apply different methods for integrating data to alcohol research. Specifically, meta-analysis and integrative data analysis (IDA) will be used to answer to different research questions relating to the assessment of familial of alcoholism. This objective has implications across disciplines given that these methods can be applied to almost any topic within alcohol research and other fields.
Specific Aims The first project, a meta-analysis on children of alcoholics (MOCA), consists of synthesizing the literature to further characterize the relationship between parental alcoholism and traits related to impulsivity in offspring and moderators of this relationship. The goal of MOCA is to identify, specifically, which traits related to impulsivity are associated with having a family history of parental alcoholism. Moderators that will be investigated include study characteristics such as the operationalization of parental alcoholism (e.g., child report of parent's alcohol problems versus assessing parent for alcohol problems). These objectives will be met through the utilization of advanced techniques such as meta-analytic multilevel modeling. The second project, an integrative data analysis of studies assessing lifetime alcohol use disorder (IDA-LAUD), will consist of integrating two data sets with multiple assessments of lifetime alcohol use disorder (AUD). The goal of this project is to further characterize reliabilit problems relating to false negatives in the assessment of lifetime AUD in more representative data sets. Although false negatives are a relatively low base rate phenomenon, the ramifications of its occurrence are severe. Utilizing IDA is the logical next step for further research in this area. Significance The results from MOCA will provide valuable information on the relationship between having a family history of parental alcoholism and impulsivity, which could be used to inform personality- tailored intervention programs. Additionally, the results from IDA-LAUD will provide valuable information on limitations in the assessment of lifetime AUD, which can be used to improve methods for assessing this and other related disorders.
Meta-Analysis on Children of Alcoholics (MOCA) Individuals with a positive family history of parental alcoholism (children of alcoholics [COAs]) are at an increased risk for developing alcoholism themselves; therefore, it is imperative that researchers further identify the mechanisms of risk involved with developing alcoholism in this population to aid in prevention efforts. Integrative Data Analysis of Studies Assessing Lifetime Alcohol Use Disorder (IDA- LAUD) Previous research provides evidence that there are severe limitations in the ability to identify alcoholics using standard assessment practices. Given that detecting individuals with alcoholism is essential for purposes such as determining who needs treatment, characterizing individuals who have experienced alcoholism in their lifetime, and to study the genetic and environmental factors that contribute to the development of alcoholism in these individuals; additional research is needed to further pinpoint the limitations of standard assessment practices so that the ability to identify alcoholics might be improved.
| Haeny, Angela M; Littlefield, Andrew K; Wood, Phillip K et al. (2018) Method effects of the relation between family history of alcoholism and parent reports of offspring impulsive behavior. Addict Behav 87:251-259 |
| Montgomery, LaTrice; Robinson, Cendrine; Seaman, Elizabeth L et al. (2017) A scoping review and meta-analysis of psychosocial and pharmacological treatments for cannabis and tobacco use among African Americans. Psychol Addict Behav 31:922-943 |
| Haeny, Angela M; Weaver, Cameron C; Martinez, Julia A et al. (2017) Is the deliberate self-induction of alcohol tolerance associated with negative alcohol outcomes? Addict Behav 65:98-101 |
| Haeny, Angela M; Littlefield, Andrew K; Sher, Kenneth J (2016) Limitations of lifetime alcohol use disorder assessments: A criterion-validation study. Addict Behav 59:95-9 |
