ALCOHOL-CONSUMPTION AND REGULAR BENZODIAZEPINE USE IN 55-YEAR-OLD FEMALE MALMO RESIDENTS - RESULTS OF A HEALTH SCREENING

The main objective of the present study was to examine the relationshi p between regular benzodiazepine (BZD) use and drinking patterns in 55 -year-old female residents of Malmo, Sweden. All women born in 1935 (a total of 1223 subjects) were invited to a health screening at the Pre ventive Medicine Section, Malmo General Hospital; 69% agreed to partic ipate. The screening included an extensive health questionnaire, and t he responses to 33 items assessing social background, including immigr ant status, use of BZD and analgesics, alcohol consumption (the revise d Maim MAST), smoking and morbidity were analysed. A psychiatric sympt oms scale including five of these items was constructed, yielding a Cr onbach's alpha of 0.57. Present use of BZD hypnotics and/or tranquilli zers was acknowledged by 6% of the women. BZD use at any time in the p ast or present was endorsed by 23%. Endorsement of greater than or equ al to 3 revised Malmo-MAST items, indicating problem drinking, occurre d in 3% of the participants; 16% were teetotallers and about 25% were regular weekend drinkers. BZD use was significantly more likely to occ ur in women with the following characteristics: early retirement, pain symptoms, longstanding use of analgesics, multiple psychiatric sympto ms. Drinking patterns in relation to BZD use indicated that regular we ekend drinkers were significantly less likely to be current and/or pre vious BZD users than problem drinkers and teetotallers. Logistic regre ssion analyses indicated that use of BZDs was mainly predicted by endo rsement of multiple psychiatric symptoms.