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Drinking patterns and problems among primary care patients: a comparison with the general population.

C J Cherpitel1

  • 1Medical Research Institute of San Francisco, Alcohol Research Group, Berkeley, CA 94709.

Alcohol and Alcoholism (Oxford, Oxfordshire)
|January 1, 1991
PubMed
Summary

Primary care patients show higher rates of heavy drinking and alcohol problems than the general population. Early identification and treatment of alcohol misuse in clinics are recommended.

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Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Addiction Medicine
  • Primary Care Research

Background:

  • Problem drinking is thought to be prevalent in primary care settings.
  • Further research is needed to confirm the extent of alcohol misuse in these populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare drinking patterns and alcohol-related problems between primary care patients and the general population.
  • To assess the potential of primary care for early intervention in alcohol misuse.

Main Methods:

  • A probability sample of 394 primary care patients were breathalyzed and interviewed.
  • Drinking patterns and alcohol problems were assessed.
  • Data were compared to a general population sample of over 3000 individuals.

Main Results:

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  • Primary care patients had higher abstinence rates (38% vs. 17%) but higher rates of heavy drinking among drinkers.
  • 14% of clinic patients reported alcohol-related physical health problems, versus 3% in the general population.
  • 22% of clinic patients reported symptoms of alcohol dependence, versus 10% in the general population.

Conclusions:

  • Primary care settings reveal a significant prevalence of heavy and problem drinking.
  • Demographic differences may partially explain variations between clinic and general populations.
  • Primary care offers a valuable opportunity for early identification and treatment of alcohol misuse.