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Concordance of Ethyl Glucuronide, Blood Alcohol Content, and Self-Reported Alcohol Use in Russian Women with HIV and Hepatitis C Virus Co-Infection

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Abstract

Problematic alcohol use is prevalent in Russia and is deleterious for individuals with HIV and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV). Ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and blood alcohol content (BAC) provide objective biomarkers of drinking that can be compared to self-reported alcohol use. This paper describes patterns of alcohol use measured by biomarkers and self-report along with concordance across measures. Participants were Russian women with HIV and HCV co-infection (N = 200; Mean age = 34.9) from two Saint Petersburg comprehensive HIV care centers enrolled in an alcohol reduction intervention clinical trial. Measures were: (a) urine specimen analyzed for EtG; (b) breathalyzer reading of BAC; and (c) self-reported frequency of drinking, typical number of drinks consumed, and number of standard drinks consumed in the past month. At baseline, 64.0% (n = 128) had a positive EtG (> 500 ng/mL) and 76.5% (n = 153) had a positive breathalyzer reading (non-zero reading). There was agreement between EtG and BAC (kappa = 0.66, p < .001; Phi coefficient = 0.69, p < .001); self-reported alcohol measures were positively correlated with positive EtG and BAC (p’s < 0.001). There was concordance between EtG and BAC measures, which have differing alcohol detection windows. Most participants endorsed frequent drinking at high quantities, with very few reporting no alcohol consumption in the past month. Concordance between biomarkers and self-reported alcohol use suggests that underreporting of alcohol use was minimal. Results highlight the need for alcohol screening within HIV care. Implications for alcohol assessment within research and clinical contexts are discussed.

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Acknowledgements

This study as funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (R01AA025882: DiClemente, Brown, MPI).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, 703 3rd Street, Room 1242, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA

    Jennifer L. Brown

  2. Health Resources in Action, Boston, MA, USA

    Ariadna Capasso

  3. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Natalia Revzina

  4. First Saint Petersburg State Pavlov Medical University, Saint Petersburg, Russia

    Ekaterina Boeva, Vadim Rassokhin, Lyudmila V. Gutova & Nadia B. Khalezova

  5. Saint Petersburg Pasteur Institute, Saint Petersburg, Russia

    Ekaterina Boeva & Vadim Rassokhin

  6. Department of Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Jessica M. Sales

  7. Department of Psychology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Anthony E. Hitch & T. Dylanne Twitty

  8. Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, USA

    Ralph J. DiClemente

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Correspondence to Jennifer L. Brown.

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Brown, J.L., Capasso, A., Revzina, N. et al. Concordance of Ethyl Glucuronide, Blood Alcohol Content, and Self-Reported Alcohol Use in Russian Women with HIV and Hepatitis C Virus Co-Infection. AIDS Behav 27, 4062–4069 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-023-04120-1

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