%0 Journal Article
%T Correlates of Alcohol-Related Discussions Between Older Adults and Their Physicians
%J Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
%D 2010
%A Duru, O. Kenrik
%A Xu, Haiyong
%A Tseng, Chi-Hong
%A Mirkin, Michelle
%A Ang, Alfonso
%A Tallen, Louise
%A Moore, Alison A.
%A Ettner, Susan L.
%V 58
%N 12
%P 2369-2374
%X OBJECTIVES: To identify predictors of alcohol-related patient-physician discussions. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study using baseline data from a randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Community-based group practice. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-one physicians in Project Senior Health and Alcohol Risk Education and 3,305 of their patients aged 60 and older who use alcohol and completed a survey that included the Comorbidity Alcohol Risk Evaluation Tool (CARET). MEASUREMENTS: At study baseline, older adults were asked whether alcohol-related discussions with a physician had occurred in the prior year. This outcome was modeled using logistic regression models with physician random effects. Predictor variables included patient-level variables such as demographics and seven CARET-defined risk factors, specifically a medical or psychiatric comorbidity that alcohol might worsen, a potentially alcohol-related symptom, use of a medication that may interact negatively with alcohol, excessive quantity or frequency of alcohol use, binge drinking, concern from others about drinking, and drinking and driving. Physician-level predictors (age, sex, years since graduation, specialty) were also included. RESULTS: The probability of reporting alcohol-related discussions declined with patient age (e.g., odds ratio (OR)=0.40 for patients aged ≥80) and was significantly lower for Latinos (OR=0.38). Drinking and driving (OR=1.69) or concern from others (OR=6.04) were significantly associated with alcohol-related discussions; having comorbidities or using medications that may interact with alcohol were not. CONCLUSION: Although patient demographics, including age and ethnicity, are associated with the occurrence of alcohol-related discussions, clinical factors that may negatively interact with alcohol to increase risk are not. This suggests that physicians may not be attuned to the entire spectrum of alcohol-related risks for older adults.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
%G en
%I John Wiley and Sons
%@ 0002-8614
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-5415.2010.03176.x