[Bibliographic analysis of the concept "alcohol-related problems"]

This survey, which is related to one of the research lines of our Unit, has a main objective to conduct a bibliographic analysis, in the medical literature of the "Alcohol Related Problems", (A.R.P.) concept. For this reviewed, by means of the MEDLINE data base, the last five years of the international scientific literature, selecting as key words: "Alcohol Related Problems", "Epidemiology", "Alcohol Drinking", "Social Problems". We detected 215 publications with abstracts, 174 presented data from epidemiological surveys and the remaining 31 were related to theoretical aspect. In 90 per cent of the revised articles alcohol was considered a risk factor and cause of illness; however, only 13 percent of them used the A.R.P. terminology. The majority of these studies were related to epidemiological surveys, mainly of a descriptive nature and with a cross-sectional or a retrospective design. We also identified, among other things, an increasing interest for the medical and social aspects of the A.R.P., this appears to be related to a more innovative view of this health problems.