title: At-risk alcohol drinking in primary care patients aged 75 years and older.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known about the prevalence and risk factors of alcohol problems among older people (especially those aged 75 years and more). The aims of this study were to report alcohol consumption patterns and to determine their association with socio-demographic variables and health characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  3224 non-demented subjects aged 75 and over and attending general practitioners (GPs) (n = 138) in an urban area of Germany were studied by structured clinical interviews including detailed assessment of alcohol consumption patterns distinguishing between abstainers, moderate drinkers and at-risk drinkers (>20 g of alcohol for women and >30 g of alcohol for men).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A high proportion (50.1%) of the sample were abstainers, 43.4% were moderate drinkers. The prevalence of at-risk alcohol consumption was 6.5% (95% CI 5.6-7.4). Rates were significantly higher for men (12.1%; 95% CI 10.2-14.0) compared to women (3.6%; 95% CI 2.8-4.4). After full adjustment for confounding variables we found that compared to moderate drinking abstaining from alcohol was significantly associated with female gender, lower education, and mobility impairment. Compared to moderate drinking at-risk drinking was significantly higher among men, individuals with a liver disease, and current smokers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Multivariate analysis revealed that, apart from liver disease, at-risk drinking in a non-demented population aged 75 and over was associated with relatively good physical and mental health. Nevertheless, public prevention measures should focus on at-risk drinkers to make them aware of potential risks of high alcohol consumption in old age.
authors.affiliation: Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany. siegfried.weyerer@zi-mannheim.de
authors.forename: Siegfried
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weyerer
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schäufele
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eifflaender-Gorfer
authors.forename: Leonore
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Köhler
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Maier
authors.forename: Franziska
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Haller
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cvetanovska-Pllashiniku
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pentzek
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: Hendrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: van den Bussche
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eisele
authors.forename: Horst
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bickel
authors.forename: Edelgard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mösch
authors.forename: Birgitt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wiese
authors.forename: Matthias C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Angermeyer
authors.forename: Steffi G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Riedel-Heller
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D015995:Prevalence; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population