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Alcohol consumption among middle-aged and elderly men: a community study from western India
Prakash C Gupta1, Shekhar Saxena, Mangesh S Pednekar
1Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, Colaba, Mumbai 400 005, India.
Aims:
To assess the prevalence and pattern of alcohol use in a middle-aged and elderly population in Mumbai, India.
Methods:
50 220 men aged >/=45 years from the lower and lower-middle section of the general population were interviewed.
Results:
18.8% were currently consuming alcoholic beverages, of whom 32.8% drank on at least 6 days per week. The most popular beverage was locally distilled products of fruits and grain (country liquor). Seventy-five per cent of the consumers of country liquor would consume over 53 g of ethanol on a day when they drank, with 46.6% of these doing so on at least 6 days per week.
Conclusions:
Abstinence, and also heavy and frequent use of alcohol, are common in this population and the latter is likely to have significant public health implications.