Resumo

CHANG DE LA ROSA, Martha; CANIZARES PEREZ, Mayilée  e  BARROSO UTRA, Isabel. Consumption of alcoholic beverages: suggestions for its measurement in Cuba. Rev Cubana Med Gen Integr [online]. 2005, vol.21, n.3-4. ISSN 0864-2125.

Among the problems associated with the consumption of alcoholic beverages we can find the chronic diseases and  acute consequences, such as poisonings, accidents and problems related to social behavior. The rate of increase of these risks rises according to the amount of consumed alcoholic beverages. The studies of the consumption of alcoholic beverages may be approached from an individual or ecological perspective. The methodological considerations to apply one or the other are included in this paper and its advantages and limitations are discussed to measure the volume of alcoholic beverages consumed by the Cuban population. These reflections will help doctors at the primary health care level to prevent and control the problems related to the excessive consumption, will facilitate the research in this field, and will contribute to establish an epidemiological surveillance allowing the formulation of effective public health policies. Finally, examples of questions are given to inquire about the individual consumption of alcoholic beverages.

Palavras-chave : Consumption of alcoholic beverages; consumption per capita; frequency; amount.