BACKGROUND

Heavy alcohol consumption in HIV patients is an increasing health concern. Applying the drinking motivational model to HIV primary care patients, drinking motives (drinking to cope with negative affect, for social facilitation, and in response to social pressure) were associated with alcohol consumption at a baseline interview. However, whether these motives predict continued heavy drinking or alcohol dependence in this population is unknown.

METHODS

Participants were 254 heavy-drinking urban HIV primary care patients (78.0% male; 94.5% African American or Hispanic) participating in a randomized trial of brief drinking-reduction interventions. Drinking motive scales, as well as measures of alcohol consumption and alcohol dependence, were administered at baseline. Consumption and dependence measures were re-administered at the end of treatment two months later. Regression analyses tested whether baseline drinking motive scale scores predicted continued heavy drinking and alcohol dependence status at the end of treatment, and whether motives interacted with treatment condition.

RESULTS

Baseline drinking to cope with negative affect predicted continued heavy drinking (p<0.05) and alcohol dependence, the latter in both in the full sample (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=2.14) and among those with baseline dependence (AOR=2.52). Motives did not interact with treatment condition in predicting alcohol outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Drinking to cope with negative affect may identify HIV patients needing targeted intervention to reduce drinking, and may inform development of more effective interventions addressing ways other than heavy drinking to cope with negative affect.