Prevalence of risky alcohol consumption in the elderly: a study from a primary care unit in the Braga region

Abstract

Introduction: Alcohol consumption is associated with risks and benefits depending on the quantity ingested. It is helpful to understand patterns of alcohol consumption in a population in order to decrease risk. The elderly represent a group of special interest, currently under-studied in this area. Family physicians can play a role in the evaluation and prevention of risky alcohol consumption in the elderly. Objectives: To assess the prevalence of risky alcohol consumption in the elderly in a primary care unit. Methods: A cross-sectional study of a sample the clinical records of an 1,225 individuals aged 65 or over was conducted. A representative random sample of 210 elderly patients was selected. Risky consumption was defined as 14 or more standard ethanol units (168g) per week. Results: In this sample of 210 elderly patients, the mean age was 73.7 ± 7.7 years and 57.6 % were women. The prevalence of alcohol consumption was 63% (95% CI 56,69) and risky consumption was found in 32.9% (95% CI 26,39) [56.2% (95% CI 49,62) in men, 15.7% (95% CI 10,20) in women], with 36.7% (95% CI 30,41) of the sample who were abstinent. We found a significant association between male gender and risky alcohol consumption. Age and education were not related to risky consumption. Discussion: In the elderly, excessive consumption of alcohol can have serious consequences. There is a lack of studies to assess patterns of alcohol consumption in this population. We found that 63.3% of the elderly in this population consume alcohol, with a male predominance, similar to findings in national studies. The prevalence of the risky consumption in this population, which includes a third of the sample, is higher than that found in other similar studies. Conclusion: Alcohol risk consumption is prevalent in the elderly in this population and family physicians should be aware of this problem.