Problematic drinking and health problems: an epidemiologic study through general practitioners in the Tuscany Region (Central Italy) and Friuli Venezia Giulia Region (Northern Italy).
"OBJECTIVES: to identify the differences among patients of general practictioners (GPs) in both Tuscany Region (Central Italy) and Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG) Region (Northern Italy), which are different for drinking cultures, as to motivation of consultation, hazardous drinking and alcohol dependence, health problems, and use of health services.



cross-sectional study by means of both a medical examination and a subsequent structured interview carried out with a questionnaire. Data were analysed using chi-square test, logistic regression and differences in prevalence.



the study was implemented between July and November 2013 on a sample of 492 patients of 30 GPs in FVG, and 451 patients of 25 GPs in Tuscany.



although patients in FVG were less likely to drink alcohol (66.7% vs. 70.9%), consumed lower amounts of alcohol on average per day per drinker (10.9 vs. 14.5 grams of alcohol), and were less likely to be hazardous drinkers (11.2% vs. 13.8%) compared to patients in Tuscany, they had a 3.6 to 4.7 times higher risk of alcohol dependence. In addition, the prevalence of diseases (in particular hepato-gastrointestinal diseases, hypertension, and psychiatric problems), smoking, and obesity/ overweighting was higher among clients of FVG, which exceed the Tuscan patients by 5-12 percentage points. Compared to Tuscany, FVG patients were more hospitalized and required more help to GPs or other people for their drinking problems.



compared to Tuscan patients, GPs' patients in FVG has higher prevalence of alcohol addiction and other diseases, as well as of smoking and overweight/obesity, and higher need for health interventions as to their drinking problems."
Agenzia regionale per la sanità della Regione Toscana, Firenze, Italia. allamana@gmail.com.
Allaman
A
Allamani
Agenzia regionale per la sanità della Regione Toscana, Firenze, Italia.
Stefano
S
Bravi
Agenzia regionale per la sanità della Regione Toscana, Firenze, Italia.
Pasquale
P
Pepe
Agenzia regionale per la sanità della Regione Toscana, Firenze, Italia.
Fabio
F
Voller
Dipartimento di scienze della vita, Università degli studi di Trieste, Italia.
Francesco
F
Marcatto
Dipartimento di scienze della vita, Università degli studi di Trieste, Italia.
Donatella
D
Ferrante
Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy & Center of Clinical Epidemiology and Longitudinal Studies (CELOS), Technische Universität.
Jakob
J
Manthey
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada.|Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Canada.|Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, Canada.|Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Jürgen
J
Rehm
Dipartimento di scienze della vita, Università degli studi di Trieste, Italia.|Centro di formazione per l'area delle cure primarie, Monfalcone (GO), Italia.
Pierluigi
P
Struzzo
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D058006:General Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires