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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Reduce the proportion of people aged 21 years and over who engaged in binge drinking in the past month — SU‑10 Data Methodology and Measurement

This objective is a Leading Health Indicator (LHI). Learn about LHIs.

On this page:  About the National Data  |  Methodology  |  History

About the National Data

Data

Data Source:  National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), SAMHSA

Baseline: 26.6 percent of persons aged 21 years and over reported binge drinking in the past 30 days in 2018

Target: 25.4 percent

Numerator
Number of adults aged 21 years and over who report having 5 or more drinks (for males) or 4 or more drinks (for females) at the same time or within a couple of hours of each other during the past 30 days.
Denominator
Number of adults aged 21 years and over.
Target-setting method
Projection
Target-setting method details
Linear trend fitted using weighted least squares and a projection at the 33 percent prediction interval.
1
Target-setting method justification
Trend data were evaluated for this objective. Using historical data points, a trend line was fitted using weighted least squares, and the trend was projected into the next decade. This method was used because three or more comparable data points were available, the projected value was within the range of possible values, and a projection at the 33 percent prediction interval was selected because no additional information could be used to assess the trend line, so the target was based on the projection.

Methodology

Questions used to obtain the national baseline data

(For additional information, please visit the data source page linked above.)

From the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health:

Numerator:
Women:
During the past 30 days, that is, since [DATE], on how many days did you have 4 or more drinks on the same occasion? By 'occasion,' we mean at the same time or within a couple of hours of each other.
Men:
During the past 30 days, that is, since [DATE], on how many days did you have 5 or more drinks on the same occasion? By 'occasion,' we mean at the same time or within a couple of hours of each other.

Methodology notes

Binge drinking is defined as drinking 5 or more alcoholic beverages for men or 4 or more alcoholic beverages for women at the same time or within a couple of hours of each other during the past 30 days. A description of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) has been published by SAMHSA.

History

Comparable HP2020 objective
Modified, which includes core objectives that are continuing from Healthy People 2020 but underwent a change in measurement.
Changes between HP2020 and HP2030
This objective differs from Healthy People 2020 objective SA-14.3 in that objective SA-14.3 tracked binge drinking in the past month among persons aged 18 years and over, while this objective tracks binge drinking in the past month among persons aged 21 years and over.

1. Because Healthy People 2030 objectives have a desired direction (e.g., increase or decrease), the confidence level of a one-sided prediction interval can be used as an indication of how likely a target will be to achieve based on the historical data and fitted trend.