Date of Publication

2019

Faculty Mentor

Tom Delaney Ph.D.

Abstract

Objective. To examine associations among routine healthcare services and binge drinking in Vermont adults.

Methods. We analyzed a cross-sectional sample of randomly selected 6516 adults who participated in the self-reported 2017 Vermont Behavioral Risk Surveillance System survey. We estimated odds ratios for responses indicative of binge drinking in association with length of time since last routine checkup using a bivariate logistic regression model.

Results. Participants who reported binge drinking were 31% (OR = 0.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.56, 0.83) less likely to engage in a healthcare visit within the past year controlling for age, employment status, annual household income, and sex with all tests holding statistical significance (P ≤ 0.05).

Conclusion. Findings indicated that binge drinking coincided with a decrease in likelihood of using routine healthcare services within one year.

Policy recommendations. Binge drinking remains a costly form of substance misuse, physically to the individual and financially to the public. Addressing perceived barriers and encouraging those who binge drink to seek annual routine healthcare services is vital to ensuring these at-risk populations receive care

Document Type

Project

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