title: Alcohol use and falls among the elderly in Metropolitan São Paulo, Brazil.
abstract: The objectives of this study are to identify the pattern of alcohol use among the elderly and to analyze its association with falls. A population-based survey was conducted in a sample of Metropolitan São Paulo, Brazil, using the GENACIS questionnaire, Gender, Alcohol and Culture: An International Study. Adjusted prevalence ratios were calculated using Poisson Regression with robust variance, and the dependent variable was the occurrence of falls. Interviews were carried out with 432 subjects whose average age was 69.5 years. Regarding alcohol use 50.9% were lifetime abstainers, 25.5% had not drunk in the previous year and 23.6% were current drinkers. Among the latter, 14 (13.7%) were heavy drinkers. In the previous year 24.5% people had falls, which were associated with being a heavy drinker and being older. Although a relationship between being a heavy drinker and falls found in this survey does not allow for inferences on causality, this association supports the hypothesis that alcohol abuse in later life might be related with health problems.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Botucatu, Brazil. mclima@fmb.unesp.br
authors.forename: Maria Cristina Pereira
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: Maria Odete
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Simão
authors.forename: Janaina Barbosa de
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Mariana Braga
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Cavariani
authors.forename: Adriana Marcassa
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Tucci
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kerr-Correa
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires