Screening in Primary Care for Alcohol Use Compared With Smoking, Diet, and Physical Activity: A Repeated Population Survey in Sweden

Abstract

Screening and brief intervention in primary care for hazardous alcohol use is potentially a means to improve public health but is seldom implemented. There are few comparisons with general practitioner screening for other lifestyle habits. Repeated cross-sectional surveys from 2004, 2008, and 2012 in Sweden were used (N = 28,935) to document general practitioner visitors' reports on being asked and advised about alcohol, tobacco, diet, and physical activity when visiting primary care. Screening increased for all health behaviors, with the most apparent increase found for alcohol use. Screening for alcohol use can efficiently be integrated into health care, along with that for other lifestyle habits.