Abstract
The objective of this retrospective, longitudinal study was to investigate the prevalence of drinking within the recommended limits (i.e., low-risk drinking) following moderate/severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Data were drawn from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research TBI Model Systems National Database (TBIMS), a longitudinal dataset closely representative of the U.S. adult population requiring inpatient rehabilitation for TBI. The sample included 6,348 adults with moderate or severe TBI (injured October 2006 - May 2016) who received inpatient rehabilitation at a civilian TBIMS center and completed the alcohol consumption items for pre-injury, and 1- and 2-year post-injury. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) guidelines define low-risk drinking as no more than 4 drinks per day for men or 3 drinks per day for women, and no more than 14 drinks per week for men, or no more than 7 drinks per week for women. Low-risk drinking was common both before and after TBI, with more than 30% drinking in the low-risk level pre- injury, and more than 25% at 1- and 2-years post-injury. Post-injury, the majority of drinkers consumed alcohol in the low-risk level regardless of pre-injury drinking level. Definitive research on the long-term outcomes of low-risk alcohol consumption following more severe TBI should be a high priority.
