Substance Abuse and Abuse Q 3
The community nurse practicing primary prevention of alcohol abuse would target which groups for educational efforts?
A. Adolescents in their late teens and young adults in their early twenties.
B. Elderly men who live in retirement communities.
C. Women working in careers outside the home.
D. Women working in the home.
Correct Answer: A. Adolescents in their late teens and young adults in their early twenties
High-risk groups for alcohol abuse include individuals between ages 18 and 25 and the unemployed. According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, an estimated 20.8 million Americans age 12 and older had a substance use disorder, of which 15.7 million were alcohol use disorders. Of the people with alcohol use disorder and illicit drug disorder, 623,000 of these were adolescents ages 12 to 17 (2.5% of all adolescents).
Option B: There is no evidence that elderly men in retirement communities have increased rates of alcohol abuse. Almost four million (3.8 million) individuals ages 18-25 (10.9% of young adults) and 11.3 million individuals 26 years or older (5.4%) had both an alcohol use disorder and illicit drug disorder. However, this number has been steadily declining since 2002. Almost half of the people with any substance abuse problem, including alcohol, also had a co-existing mental illness.
Option C: Rates of the disorder are greater among adult men (12.4%) than among adult women (4.9%). Alcohol use disorder is a common disorder in the United States. The 12-month prevalence of alcohol use disorder is estimated to be 4.6% among 12 to 17-year-olds and 8.5% among adults aged 18 years and older in the United States.
Option D: Men have 2 to 3 times increased risk than women of abusing alcohol. Among adults, the 12-month prevalence of alcohol use disorder is clearly greater among Native Americans and Alaska Natives (12.1%) than among whites (8.9%), Hispanics (7.9%), African Americans (6.9%), and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (4.5%).