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Screening for problem drinking in older primary care patients
W L Adams1, K L Barry, M F Fleming
1Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, USA. wadams@netserv.unmc.edu
JAMA
|December 25, 1996
Summary
Hazardous alcohol use is common in elderly primary care patients. The CAGE questionnaire is insufficient for detecting heavy or binge drinking in this population.
Area of Science:
- Geriatrics
- Public Health
- Addiction Medicine
Background:
- Potentially hazardous alcohol consumption is prevalent among elderly individuals.
- Screening tools are needed to identify at-risk older adults in primary care settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe hazardous alcohol use in elderly primary care patients.
- To evaluate the CAGE questionnaire's effectiveness in detecting heavy and binge drinking in this demographic.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving 5065 patients over 60 years old across 21 primary care sites.
- Utilized a self-administered questionnaire including quantity/frequency of drinking, binge drinking episodes, and the CAGE questionnaire.
- Assessed alcohol consumption against National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism guidelines.
Main Results:
- 15% of men and 12% of women exceeded recommended weekly alcohol limits.
- 9% of men and 3% of women screened positive on the CAGE questionnaire.
- The CAGE questionnaire identified less than half of heavy or binge drinkers.
Conclusions:
- Excessive alcohol consumption is common among elderly outpatients.
- The CAGE questionnaire alone is inadequate for detecting hazardous drinking in older adults.
- Combining CAGE with quantity/frequency questions improves detection of problem drinking.