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GoalsReview

Short talks may cut drinking at six months, but not at one year.

HelpedThe short version

At six months, people who had short talks drank about 69 grams a week less than the other group.

A man in striped pyjamas sits up in bed, reaching toward a can on the bedside table while a woman sits calmly beside him.
4
studies pooled
453
heavy drinkers in hospital, aged 16 and over
Self-rated
people rated themselves

The review

  1. Who took part

    About 4,000 heavy drinkers aged 16 or over took part in 14 studies, mostly men. All had been admitted to hospital wards for something other than alcohol.

  2. What they did

    Hospital staff, such as nurses or doctors, gave a short talk about drinking, with advice and help to cut down. Most gave one session of 15 to 60 minutes, and a few gave two. The other group got usual care, screening only, or usual care plus a leaflet.

  3. What happened

    At six months, people drank about 69 grams a week less after the talks than the other group. At one year the gap was about 34 grams, not a clear difference, and fewer people died after the talks. The six-month result was not clear once one study was removed, and some of the review's numbers don't add up.

What the review found

  1. Helped

    At six months, people who had short talks drank about 69 grams a week less than the other group.

    Pooled analysis of 4 studies with 453 people · vs people who got usual care, screening only or a leaflet · they rated themselves · ⚠ whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited; mixes trials with other kinds of study

  2. No difference

    At one year, people who had short talks did not drink less each week than the other group.

    Pooled analysis of 4 studies with 1,073 people · vs people who got usual care, screening only or a leaflet · they rated themselves · ⚠ whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited; mixes trials with other kinds of study

  3. No difference

    At six months, people who had short talks rated their drinking no lower than the other group did.

    Pooled analysis of 2 studies with 405 people · vs people who got usual care, screening only or a leaflet · they rated themselves · ⚠ whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited; mixes trials with other kinds of study

  4. Helped

    At one year, one study found people who had short talks rated their drinking lower than the other group.

    Pooled analysis of 1 study with 275 people · vs people who got usual care, screening only or a leaflet · they rated themselves · ⚠ whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited; mixes trials with other kinds of study

How solid is this?

  • People rated themselves
  • Whole groups were assigned, not people
  • Unclear how groups were picked
  • Numbers unreliable
  • Summary claims more than the results show
  • Whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited
  • Mixes trials with other kinds of study

Source

Brief interventions for heavy alcohol users admitted to general hospital wards (2011)

DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd005191.pub3

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