A Longitudinal Study of Illness Patterns in Alcoholics and Matched Controls

摘要

Hospitalization records for a 10.5-year period were compared for a group of 545 Navy enlisted personnel diagnosed alcoholic and a group of 1,090 controls matched for age at enlistment, sex, race, and occupational status (job type). Alcoholics differed from controls on social and military history variables, including marital status, job level (pay grade) achieved, and incidence of disciplinary difficulties. Percentages hospitalized, admission rates, and mean days hospitalized for nonalcohol-related conditions differed markedly for alcoholics and controls. The greatest differences in illness rates between alcoholics and control were in three major diagnostic categories: Mental Disorders, Diseases of the Digestive System, and Accidents. (Author)