Alcohol and Quality of Life Among Social Groups for the Elderly in São José dos Campos, Brazil Gabriela V. Santos & Emily C. Barreto & Jarbas F. F. Santos & Leonardo Marchini Received: 12 February 2013 / Accepted: 5 March 2013 # Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht and The International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies (ISQOLS) 2013 Abstract This study aims to investigate alcohol consumption within social groups for the elderly in São José dos Campos-Brazil, and to check for a correlation between alcohol consumption and quality of life. A sample of 500 individuals participating on social groups for the elderly were interviewed by using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) to verify alcohol consumption; the Medical Outcomes Study 36 Item Short Form (SF-36), for evaluating quality of life; and the Oral Health Impact Profile short form (OHIP-14), for evaluating oral health-related quality of life. The average alcohol consumption was very low (1.48), being higher in men (2.23) than women (1.09). The SF-36 average score for the domain of physical function was 70.5; for role-physical function 64.9; for bodily pain,68.3; for general health 73.8; for vitality,72.4; for social function 82.8; for role-emotional function 72.3 and for mental health 75.0. The OHIP-14 average score was 3.87. AUDIT did not correlate with SF-36 domains, or with OHIP-14. However, there was a negative correlation between OHIP 14 and all SF-36 domains. This elderly sample has a very low consumption of alcohol, and no correlation was found between alcohol consumption and oral and medical quality of life. Applied Research Quality Life DOI 10.1007/s11482-013-9225-y G. V. Santos : E. C. Barreto : J. F. F. Santos : L. Marchini Schoolof Dentistry, University of Vale do Paraíba - UNIVAP, Av ShishimaHifumi 2711 São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil J. F. F. Santos : L. Marchini School of Dentistry, University of Taubaté - UNITAU, Av dos Operários, 08 Taubaté, SP, Brazil L. Marchini State University of São Paulo–UNESP, Av Fco José Longo, 777( São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil L. Marchini (*) Av. Adhemar de Barros, 1136/153( São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil 12245-010 e-mail: marchinileo@gmail.com L. Marchini e-mail: marchini@univap.br