Screening elderly veterans for alcoholism.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the sensitivity and specificity of an alcoholism screening test not previously tested in the elderly.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study, face-to-face interviews.

SETTING

Veterans Administration (VA) outpatient facility.

PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Men greater than or equal to 70 years old seeking care in a newly established VA outpatient facility were invited to participate in a health assessment program. Of 109 participants who enrolled, 96 completed both interviews.

INTERVENTIONS

The screening test was administered by an internist as part of a medical history. The Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST), used as the "gold standard," was administered by a trained interviewer as part of a longer structured interview.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

The screening test had a sensitivity of 0.52 and a specificity of 0.76 in this sample.

CONCLUSIONS

The sensitivity and specificity of the screening test were lower in this sample in comparison with previously reported results in a younger population. Differences in the test performance may be related to differences in attitudes and drinking behaviors of elderly veterans when compared with those of younger men and women.