ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE IN GASTROENTEROLOG YOUTPATIENT ON A PUBLIC HOSPITAL

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Alcoholism and alcoholic liver disease are both considered worldwide health problems. OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of alcohol dependence, the associated risk factors and the concordance between the prevalence found and the data collected during the medical visit were evaluated. METHODS: A prospective study evaluating gastroenterology outpatients at a public tertiary hospital was conducted. Two specific questionnaires to assess alcohol dependence were applied: Cut down, Annoyed by criticism, Guilty, Eye-opener (CAGE) and The Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). Data on comorbidities, clinical diagnosis and assessment of alcohol consumption by the attending physician were collected through medical records. RESULTS: One hundred and seventy eight patients were interviewed, of which 119 (66.9%) were women and 59 (33.1%) were men, with mean age of 57 years. Thirty-three (18.5%) of the 178 patients were considered alcohol-dependent by the CAGE questionnaire. Thirteen (7.3%) patients scored 8 points or more on the AUDIT questionnaire. The agreement (kappa) between these questionnaires was 0.37 (P