Problematic drinking and health problems: an epidemiologic study through general practitioners in the Tuscany Region (Central Italy) and Friuli Venezia Giulia Region (Northern Italy).

"OBJECTIVES: to identify the differences among patients of general practictioners (GPs) in both Tuscany Region (Central Italy) and Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG) Region (Northern Italy), which are different for drinking cultures, as to motivation of consultation, hazardous drinking and alcohol dependence, health problems, and use of health services.

DESIGN: cross-sectional study by means of both a medical examination and a subsequent structured interview carried out with a questionnaire. Data were analysed using chi-square test, logistic regression and differences in prevalence.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: the study was implemented between July and November 2013 on a sample of 492 patients of 30 GPs in FVG, and 451 patients of 25 GPs in Tuscany.

RESULTS: although patients in FVG were less likely to drink alcohol (66.7% vs. 70.9%), consumed lower amounts of alcohol on average per day per drinker (10.9 vs. 14.5 grams of alcohol), and were less likely to be hazardous drinkers (11.2% vs. 13.8%) compared to patients in Tuscany, they had a 3.6 to 4.7 times higher risk of alcohol dependence. In addition, the prevalence of diseases (in particular hepato-gastrointestinal diseases, hypertension, and psychiatric problems), smoking, and obesity/ overweighting was higher among clients of FVG, which exceed the Tuscan patients by 5-12 percentage points. Compared to Tuscany, FVG patients were more hospitalized and required more help to GPs or other people for their drinking problems.

CONCLUSIONS: compared to Tuscan patients, GPs' patients in FVG has higher prevalence of alcohol addiction and other diseases, as well as of smoking and overweight/obesity, and higher need for health interventions as to their drinking problems."