OBJECTIVE:
To find out the frequency of specific disorders within the general population using primary healthcare relating to the control of impulses with addictive risk.
DESIGN:
A cross-sectional descriptive study.
LOCATION:
Urban health centre, Area 9 of the Madrid Health Service (Spain).
PARTICIPANTS:
A total of 457 patients who came to primary care (PA) were selected by consecutive sampling.
METHOD:
Self-completion of the MULTICAGE-CAD4 survey (which measure eight scales for the risky behaviour being studied).
RESULTS:
There was a risk in at least one of the scales in 46.4% of the sample, of which 17.3% (13.7-20.9) showed risky behaviour on the alcohol scale; 9% (6.2-11.7) for other drugs; 4.4% (2.4-6.4) for gambling; 9.4% (6.6-12.2) for addiction to the Internet; 4.8% (2.7-6.7) for addiction to videogames; 18.8% (15.1-22.5) for eating disorders; 16% (12.5-19.4) for compulsive shopping and 5.5% (3.3-7.7) for addiction to sex.
The occurrence of addiction to alcohol, gambling and sex were higher for men, while eating disorders were more prevalent in women.
CONCLUSIONS:
We are facing a widespread set of problems related to addictions that are often hidden; this study shows that these addictions can be detected within primary healthcare by effective screening tools such as MULTICAGE CAD-4, which is both economic, and easy to implement within primary healthcare centres.
2009-02-03
Spa.
Atencion primaria / Sociedad Espanola de Medicina de Familia y Comunitaria
Centro de Salud M, Angeles López Gómez, Salud Madrid, Leganés, Madrid, España. maitelias [at] hotmail.com
Aten Primaria. 2009 Jan;41(1):25-32
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