At-risk alcohol drinking in primary care patients aged 75 years and older.
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.
Weyerer
Siegfried
S
Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany. siegfried.weyerer@zi-mannheim.de
Schäufele
Martina
M
Eifflaender-Gorfer
Sandra
S
Köhler
Leonore
L
Maier
Wolfgang
W
Haller
Franziska
F
Cvetanovska-Pllashiniku
Gabriela
G
Pentzek
Michael
M
Fuchs
Angela
A
van den Bussche
Hendrik
H
Zimmermann
Thomas
T
Eisele
Marion
M
Bickel
Horst
H
Mösch
Edelgard
E
Wiese
Birgitt
B
Angermeyer
Matthias C
MC
Riedel-Heller
Steffi G
SG
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