Diagnostic Criteria in University Students: a gender description in Argentina

CONDE, KARINA; LÓPEZ, MARIANA BEATRÍZ; CREMONTE, MARIANA

Encuentro; First Joint Meeting: Alcohol and other drugs of abuse: from molecules to human disorders; 2013

Due to genetic, physiologic and psychosocial differences, alcohol related problems vary for men and women. This cross-sectional study aims to describe gender differences in diagnostic criteria, according to the International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD-10), and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) IV and 5. We selected a convenience sample of university students, a population where alcohol use is related to deaths and diseases. Students (N=721, 84% female and 16% men, aged 18 to 77, M = 24.07, SD = 7.3) from the National University of Mar del Plata completed a structured self-administer questionnaire. We identified diagnostic criteria for alcohol use disorder according to the ICD-10 and the DSM-IV and 5, as well as age, gender, quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption. We performed separated logistic regression analyses for each criterion and gender, and we constructed models of regression including age, quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption. Of the 14 criterion considered, differences were found in craving (p=.035, OR=3.400 [IC 95%=1.092-10.588]), neglect of activities (p=.009, OR=2.715 [IC 95%=1.284-5.740]), time spent in alcohol?related activities (p=.009, OR=2.715 [IC 95%=1.284-5.740]), continued use despite problems (p=.012, OR=2.143 [IC 95%=1.179-3.897]), and recurrent use of alcohol resulting in a failure to fulfill major role obligations (p=.012, OR=1.851 [IC 95%=1.146-2.989]). Adjusted by age, quantity and frequency, only tolerance (p=.017, OR=.332 [IC 95%=.134-.821]) achieve statistical significance. Results suggest that alcohol use disorders nosology should take into account gender specificity and its interaction with other variables such as age and alcohol consumption.