[Usefulness of the CAGE questionnaire for the detection of alcohol-related problems among the causes of death in women from Diadema (SP) in the years 1985-1986].

The present study was aimed to evaluate problems related to alcohol abuse among the characteristics of mortality of women decreased in Diadema between July 1985 and June 1986. The CAGE questionnaire was used to detect possible cases of alcoholism or alcohol related problems, and it was applied to a relative or close friend of the deceased. From 327 women dead during that period, 7.3% were CAGE positives. Alcoholism was direct or indirectly related to death of women specially between 30-49 years of age, although through the original death certificate, alcoholism was not indicated of diagnosis. The questionnaire CAGE was useful as a tool to detect alcohol problems even when the questions were answered by a resource person, thus identifying alcoholism as an important risk factor of mortality among young women.