PREVALENCE OF ALCOHOL-PROBLEMS AMONG ADULT SOMATIC INPATIENTS IN NAPLES

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the prevalence of alcohol problems among adult somatic in-patients in urban hospitals of Naples. The patients were screened with a structured questionnaire regarding life style. After discharge, the patient records were exami ned and the hospital discharge diagnoses were registered. A patient wa s considered having an alcohol problem if one or more of the following criteria were fulfilled. (1) a Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test sco re at or above five; (2) a self-reported daily consumption for at leas t 2 years of at least 60g of ethanol for males and 36g for females; (3 ) an alcohol-related discharge diagnosis. The prevalence of patients w ith alcohol problems was significantly (P < 0.01) higher among male (4 3.8%, 95% confidence limits, 37.6-50.2%) than among female patients (1 4.8%, 95% confidence limits, 9.6-21.4%). There were no significant dif ferences among the different types of somatic departments regarding th e prevalence of alcohol problems when gender was considered. Patients with alcohol problems differed significantly from those without alcoho l problems regarding a number of variables: the former drank significa ntly more alcohol, smoked for more years, and had a higher prevalence of alcohol problems in the family. It is concluded that alcohol proble ms among in-patients are as prevalent in Naples as in other industrial ized countries, that it is often not registered among discharge diagno ses, and that the problems are more prevalent in males than in females , irrespective of the type of department.