Diagnosing addictions to alcohol and nicotine among elderly people

Introduction. The escalating phenomenon of ageing society leads to the questions about the frequency of addictions occurrence because of both their negative impact on health and social consequences.

Aim. Diagnosing addictions to alcohol and nicotine among elderly people.

Material and methods. The study was carried out among 100 people aged over 60. It applied demographic and social questionnaire and the following tests: Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test and Short Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test — Geriatric Version.

Results. 21% of the people examined smoked cigarettes, men were more likely to smoke than women (25% vs. 17%) and in their case a higher level of addiction was observed. An alcohol problem was recognized in one out of four cases (23%). Men were more likely to suffer from alcohol problems than women (p = 0.0001). Only men drank alcohol in a risky and harmful way, whereas more than a half of women admitted to low-risk drinking (p = 0.04). Non-smokers usually did not suffer from alcohol problems. In the group of smoking people alcohol problems (p = 0.0007) with symptoms of risky drinking were reported (p = 0.0006).

Conclusions. Sex seems to be a strong predictor in identifying addictions among elderly people; only men were found to drink alcohol in a risky and harmful way. Co-occurrence of alcohol and nicotine addictions poses a serious health hazard and addicted people need to be regularly motivated to change their health behaviour and supported by a therapy.