The included studies were assessed in light of the following methodological limitations:
the sampling strategy was not described or only patients with positive screening results were interviewed;
the reported sensitivity was based on fewer than 20 women meeting the diagnostic criteria for alcohol abuse or dependence, or the sensitivity was not reported;
the items were used in more than one questionnaire, sometimes with changes in the timeframe or wording;
multiple alcohol screening questionnaires were administered at one time;
screening questionnaires and comparison standards were administered by the same interviewer or at one sitting;
criterion standards were not interviewer administered;
the racial and/or ethnic makeup of the study population was not explicitly stated, or the data for black and white patients were combined.
Two reviewers independently coded each study for the presence or absence of the methodological limitations.