Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33987927›Full record

ArticleDrug and alcohol review2021

Characterising patterns of alcohol use among heavy drinkers: A cluster analysis utilising alcohol biosensor data.

Rachel L Gunn, Jon A Steingrimsson, Jennifer E Merrill, Timothy Souza, Nancy Barnett

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Drug and alcohol review, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 34% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Common and unique latent transition analysis (CULTA) as a way to examine the trait-state dynamics of alcohol intoxication.Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors · 2025
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Profiles of transdermal alcohol concentration and their prediction of negative and positive alcohol-related consequences in young adults' natural settings.Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors · 2025
    Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Rachel L GunnDepartment of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-5244-1105
Jon A SteingrimssonBiostatistics, Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, USA.
Jennifer E MerrillDepartment of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, USA.
Timothy SouzaData Management Systems, Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, USA.
Nancy BarnettDepartment of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, USA.
Brown University · US

Funding

Ambulatory Assessment of Simultaneous Alcohol and Marijuana Use: Impact on Alcohol Use and ConsequencesK08AA027551 · NIAAA · BROWN UNIVERSITY · PI GUNN, RACHEL LYN · 2019 to 2023
$935k
Real-Time Evaluations of Alcohol Consequences and Subsequent DrinkingK01AA022938 · NIAAA · BROWN UNIVERSITY · PI MERRILL, JENNIFER ELIZABETH · 2014 to 2018
$904k
Contingency Management for Alcohol Abuse Using Transdermal Alcohol DetectionR21AA015980 · NIAAA · BROWN UNIVERSITY · PI BARNETT, NANCY P · 2008 to 2009
$422k
NIAAA NIH HHS K01 AA022938NIAAA NIH HHS K08 AA027551NIAAA NIH HHS R21 AA015980
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionPrevious research has predominately relied on person-level or single characteristics of drinking episodes to characterise patterns of drinking that may confer risk. This research often relies on self-report measures. Advancements in wearable alcohol biosensors provide a multi-faceted objective measure of drinking. The current study aimed to characterise drinking episodes using data derived from a wearable alcohol biosensor.

methodsParticipants (n = 45) were adult heavy drinkers who wore the Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring (SCRAM) bracelet and reported on their drinking behaviours. Cluster analysis was used to evaluate unique combinations of alcohol episode characteristics. Associations between clusters and self-reported person and event-level factors were also examined in univariable and multivariable models.

resultsResults suggested three unique clusters: Cluster 1 (most common, slowest rate of rise to and decline from peak), Cluster 2 (highest peak transdermal alcohol concentration and area under the curve) and Cluster 3 (fastest rate of decline from peak). Univariable analyses distinguished Cluster 1 as having fewer self-reported drinks and fewer episodes that occurred on weekends relative to Cluster 2. The effect for number of drinks remained in multivariable analyses. DISCUSSION AND

conclusionsThis is the first study to characterise drinking patterns at the event-level using objective data. Results suggest that it is possible to distinguish drinking episodes based on several characteristics derived from wearable alcohol biosensors. This examination lays the groundwork for future studies to characterise patterns of drinking and their association with consequences of drinking behaviour.

Indexed as

Alcoholic IntoxicationBiosensing TechniquesAdultAlcohol DrinkingCluster AnalysisEthanolHumansEthanolalcoholalcohol biosensorcluster analysisSCRAM

Identifiers

PMID33987927
PMCPMC9972297
OpenAlexW3163434061

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.