A lcohol Use Pattern Among Primary Health Care Patients: a comparative study

Abstract

Alcohol use has become a public health problem due to the impact caused by excessive consumption even before alcohol dependence sets in. Objectives: to compare the alcohol use pattern among Primary Health Care (PHC) patients from the cities of Juiz de Fora and Rio Pomba. Methodology: 855 PHC patients from Juiz de Fora (n=371) and Rio Pomba (n=484) participated in this study. The Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) was used to evaluate the pattern of alcohol use. Results: In spite of heavier drinking among Juiz de Fora participants, there were no statistical differences in the comparison of alcohol use patterns between the users in the two cities. However, a significant number of at-risk drinkers (17.8%) and Binge Drinkers (14.4%) was observed. Final Considerations: The data suggests the need for effective strategies of alcohol risk prevention in PHC.