Prevalence and sociodemographic factors of risky drinking in Australian older adults

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS

This study describes the prevalence of risky drinking in older adults (aged 60+ years) in Australia and explores the socioeconomic and lifestyle factors associated with this. The negative consequences of drinking behaviours in older adults were also explored.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Cross-sectional design, with data obtained from the Australian 2016 National Drug Strategy Household Survey, yielding a sample size of 7976 participants. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the correlates of risky drinking.

RESULTS

Approximately 17% of older Australians reported risky drinking and their most popular drinking location was in the home (93%). Respondents who were male [odds ratio 3.78, 95% confidence interval (3.22, 4.43)], of younger age group (60-69 years) [2.96, (2.25, 3.89)], in a higher socioeconomic status [1.76, (1.41, 2.21)], had no dependents [1.51, (1.10, 2.07)], were unemployed [1.64, (1.10, 2.44)] and were either current or ex-smokers [2.32, (1.90, 2.83) or 3.55, (2.95, 4.29)], were more likely to report risky drinking. Approximately 54% of risky drinkers experienced a negative outcome as a result of their drinking in the last year.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Risky drinking in older adults is a key public health issue, with a concerning rate of risky drinking and associated negative outcomes seen in the current study. Interventions aimed at older drinkers thus need to focus beyond socio-economically disadvantaged groups, while self-moderation on risky drinking, controlling accessibility to take-away alcohol and increasing the awareness of harms of risky drinking may help to reduce risky drinking among older people.

Gender Differences in Harmful Use of Alcohol Among Korean Adults

Objectives

Harmful alcohol consumption is associated with considerable social and economic damage to individuals and society. Because gender and ethnic background influence alcohol intake differently, examining gender specific factors influencing harmful drinking is necessary. This study investigated gender differences in alcohol consumption, harmful drinking, and the associated factors among Korean adults.

Methods

We analyzed the data from the 2012–2015 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Data from survey participants aged 20–64 years (N = 18,581) were included. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test was used for alcohol dependence, and pooled weights were used. Chi-squared tests and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted.

Results

The prevalence of harmful alcohol use (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test score ≥ 16) was 10.7% in the total sample; 18.4% in men and 3.4% in women, which constituted a significant difference. Education, marital status, smoking, perceived stress, and depressive feeling were associated with harmful drinking in both genders. However, household income, occupation, and perceived health status were associated with harmful drinking only in men.

Conclusion

Since there are gender differences in harmful drinking and alcohol dependence, gender tailored prevention and intervention strategies for alcohol dependence are necessary including consideration of smoking, stress, and depressive feeling.

Bias in estimates of alcohol use among older people: selection effects due to design, health, and cohort replacement

Background

There is a growing awareness of the need to include the oldest age groups in the epidemiological monitoring of alcohol consumption. This poses a number of challenges and this study sets out to examine the possible selection effects due to survey design, health status, and cohort replacement on estimates of alcohol use among the oldest old.

Methods

Analyses were based on three repeated cross-sectional interview surveys from 1992, 2002 and 2011, with relatively high response rates (86 %). The samples were nationally representative of the Swedish population aged 77+ (total n = 2022). Current alcohol use was assessed by the question “How often do you drink alcoholic beverages, such as wine, beer or spirits?” Alcohol use was examined in relation to survey design (response rate, use of proxy interviews and telephone interviews), health (institutional living, limitations with Activities of Daily Living and mobility problems) and birth cohort (in relation to age and period). Two outcomes were studied using binary and ordered logistic regression; use of alcohol and frequency of use among alcohol users.

Results

Higher estimates of alcohol use, as well as more frequent use, were associated with lower response rates, not using proxy interviews and exclusion of institutionalized respondents. When adjusted for health, none of these factors related to the survey design were significant. Moreover, the increase in alcohol use during the period was fully explained by cohort replacement. This cohort effect was also at least partially confounded by survey design and health effects. Results were similar for both outcomes.

Conclusions

Survey non-participation in old age is likely to be associated with poor health and low alcohol consumption. Failure to include institutionalized respondents or those who are difficult to recruit is likely to lead to an overestimation of alcohol consumption, whereas basing prevalence on older data, at least in Sweden, is likely to underestimate the alcohol use of the oldest old. Trends in alcohol consumption in old age are highly sensitive for cohort effects. When analysing age-period-cohort effects, it is important to be aware of these health and design issues as they may lead to incorrect conclusions.