title: Prevalence and patterns of alcohol misuse in a community-dwelling elderly sample in Brazil.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to estimate prevalence and patterns of lifetime alcohol misuse.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional study of a representative sample of 1,078 individuals aged 60 or more. Structured interview included sociodemographic, lifestyle, health data, and the five alcohol misuse screening questions of the Self-Reporting Questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence of misuse was 6.5%. Men, aged 60 to 69, low educational level, separated/divorced, and tobacco smoking were independently associated with lifetime alcohol misuse. Odds ratios show increasing association with levels of alcohol misuse groups in males, low-educated, and tobacco users. Persons aged 60 to 69, 4 to 7 education years, and non-White ethnicity were significantly associated with the major alcohol misuse score.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Younger elderly were more exposed to alcohol than previous cohorts. Thus, problems with alcohol in old age will possibly increase as they grow older. The results of this study call attention to a field of lacking evidence in alcohol-related problems of older persons.
authors.affiliation: Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eduardo Lopes
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Nogueira
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cataldo Neto
authors.forename: Maria Heloísa Fialho
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Cauduro
authors.forename: Luiz Eduardo Flores
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Ulrich
authors.forename: Lucas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Spanemberg
authors.forename: Geraldo A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: DeCarli
authors.forename: Irenio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gomes
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Brazil; alcohol; elderly; epidemiology; geriatrics