Booth B M, Blow F C, Cook C A, Bunn J Y, Fortney J C
VA Medical Center, Iowa City, Iowa.
Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 1992 Dec;16(6):1029-34. doi: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.1992.tb00694.x.
Little is known about the broad-scale demographic characteristics of low income or indigent alcoholics in public hospital systems. The purpose of the study was to examine issues relative to age, race/ethnicity, and marital status for a large group (n = 62,829) of alcoholic men receiving inpatient care in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers nationally. Subjects were VA inpatients completing alcoholism treatment (n = 27,562), in brief alcohol detoxification or short intervention (n = 9,322), or hospitalized for primary diagnoses other than alcoholism but with a secondary diagnosis of alcohol dependence syndrome (n = 25,945). Minority alcoholics were significantly younger than Caucasian alcoholics. Hispanic and African-American men, as well as older alcoholics, were significantly less likely to complete treatment or attend detoxification and more likely to be hospitalized for other primary diagnoses. Native Americans, however, were most likely to complete alcoholism treatment. Results suggest that members of some minority groups and elderly alcoholics seek inpatient care for diagnoses other than alcoholism and that, as a result, such individuals may need targeted interventions to encourage them to seek alcohol-specific care.
对于公立医院系统中低收入或贫困酗酒者的广泛人口统计学特征，人们了解甚少。本研究的目的是调查在全国退伍军人事务部（VA）医疗中心接受住院治疗的一大群（n = 62,829）酗酒男性的年龄、种族/民族和婚姻状况相关问题。研究对象包括完成酒精成瘾治疗的VA住院患者（n = 27,562）、接受简短酒精解毒或短期干预的患者（n = 9,322），或因非酒精成瘾的主要诊断住院但有酒精依赖综合征次要诊断的患者（n = 25,945）。少数族裔酗酒者明显比白人酗酒者年轻。西班牙裔和非裔美国男性以及年长的酗酒者完成治疗或接受解毒治疗的可能性明显较低，因其他主要诊断住院的可能性更高。然而，美国原住民最有可能完成酒精成瘾治疗。结果表明，一些少数族裔群体的成员和老年酗酒者因非酒精成瘾的诊断寻求住院治疗，因此，这类个体可能需要有针对性的干预措施，以鼓励他们寻求针对酒精问题的治疗。
