Feasibility of Ethyl Glucuronide Nail Testing Biomarker for Alcohol Use Among Youth Living With HIV

Purpose: We assessed the feasibility of the ethyl glucuronide biomarker (EtG) through nail sampling to measure alcohol use among youth living with HIV in the United States (YLWH, N = 183); we also evaluated concordance between this EtG biomarker and self-reported measures of alcohol use, specifically, the Alcohol Timeline Followback (TFLB) and Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST). Methods: EtG, TFLB, and ASSIST were collected at 4 points over 1 year. At baseline and 52 weeks, 78.1% and 70.1%, respectively, provided a valid (full or partial) sample. Results: At 16 weeks, EtG was associated with ASSIST (r = .25, p < .05). At 28 weeks and 52 weeks, TFLB and ASSIST were correlated with EtG (at 28 weeks r = .23, p < .05 and r = .41, p < .01, respectively; at 52 weeks r = .34, p < .01 and r = .25, p < .05, respectively). Conclusions: We found that nail-based EtG biomarker was feasible to measure alcohol use among YLWH; we also found concordance between EtG, TLFB, and ASSIST, supporting ongoing use of self reported alcohol use measures with YLWH. (c) 2021 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study assessed the feasibility of using the ethyl glucuronide biomarker from nail sampling to measure alcohol use among youth living with HIV in the United States, and found correlations between the EtG biomarker and self-reported measures of alcohol use.