Cross‐sectional and prospective associations of drinking characteristics with scores from the Self‐Report of the Effects of Alcohol questionnaire and findings from alcohol challenges

Background Data from 2 generations of participants in the San Diego Prospective Study (SDPS) were used to compare cross‐sectional and prospective relationships of 5 measures of the low level of response (low LR) to alcohol to 2 key alcohol‐related outcomes. Methods The analyses used data from 373 SDPS male probands and 158 male and female offspring of these individuals to evaluate relationships of 5 LR measures to the prior 5‐year maximum drinks per occasion and the number of 11 DSM‐IV alcohol use disorder (AUD) criteria experienced. Probands' LR measures included responses to alcohol challenges administered 15 years previously, and ratings for both generations included measures of the number of standard drinks during four periods: the first five times of drinking (SRE‐5), the prior three drinking months (SRE‐3), the period of heaviest drinking (SRE‐H), and a total average across all time frames (SRE‐T). Analyses included zero‐order correlations, correlations using covariates, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses. Results All 5 LR measures were correlated with aspects of maximum drinks and the number of AUD criteria, but the most robust results were seen for SRE‐3 and maximum drinks. Correlations were less consistent for SRE‐5, a measure more closely related to outcomes in the offspring. Hierarchical regression analyses supported most of these conclusions and showed that alcohol challenge–based LRs added significant information regarding maximum drinks even when evaluated with SRE values. The close correlation between SRE‐H and SRE‐T argues against the need for studies to include both measures. The patterns of results were similar irrespective of whether covariates were included. Conclusions There were significant correlations of maximum drinks and the number of AUD criteria with findings from prior alcohol challenges and all SRE scores. Challenges and SRE reports are related but not identical LR measures. All SRE scores, including SRE‐5, offered useful information regarding subsequent drinking behavior. The low level of response (low LR) to alcohol predicts future heavier drinking and alcohol problems and can be measured using alcohol challenges or by four scores from the SRE questionnaire regarding the number of drinks required for up to four alcohol effects. These analyses compare how the five LR measures predict future maximum drinks and alcohol problems across generations of participants in a 40‐year study. All measures correlated significant