Alcohol consumption among middle-aged and elderly men: a community study from western India.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the prevalence and pattern of alcohol use in a middle-aged and elderly population in Mumbai, India.


METHODS
50 220 men aged >/=45 years from the lower and lower-middle section of the general population were interviewed.


RESULTS
18.8% were currently consuming alcoholic beverages, of whom 32.8% drank on at least 6 days per week. The most popular beverage was locally distilled products of fruits and grain (country liquor). Seventy-five per cent of the consumers of country liquor would consume over 53 g of ethanol on a day when they drank, with 46.6% of these doing so on at least 6 days per week.


CONCLUSIONS
Abstinence, and also heavy and frequent use of alcohol, are common in this population and the latter is likely to have significant public health implications.
Gupta
Prakash C
PC
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, Colaba, Mumbai 400 005, India.
Saxena
Shekhar
S
Pednekar
Mangesh S
MS
Maulik
Pallab K
PK
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003625:Data Collection / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors