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Hoy N, Newton N, Kochan NA, Sunderland M, Baillie A, Chapman C, Winter V, Sachdev P, Teesson M, Mewton L. Rethink My Drink: study protocol for a 12-month randomised controlled trial comparing a brief internet-delivered intervention to an online patient information booklet in reducing risky alcohol consumption among older adults in Australia. Addiction 2022; 117:815-825. [PMID: 34426994 DOI: 10.1111/add.15672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Alcohol consumption is increasing among older adults. Rethink My Drink is a brief internet-delivered intervention to reduce alcohol consumption and related harms, adapted specifically for older adults. This protocol for a large-scale randomised controlled trial will evaluate whether Rethink My Drink is effective in reducing alcohol consumption and cognitive decline in a sample of older risky drinkers, compared with an active control. DESIGN 1:1 parallel group, randomised controlled trial. SETTING Online trial in Australia. PARTICIPANTS Hazardous or harmful drinkers (defined as those scoring ≥5 on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test [AUDIT]) age 60 to 75 years old (n = 842). Participants will be recruited from August 2021 to August 2022 through online social media advertisements and community networks. INTERVENTION AND COMPARATOR Participants will be randomly allocated to receive access to Rethink My Drink (intervention) or Alcohol: The Facts (comparator), an online patient information booklet provided by New South Wales (NSW) Health. MEASUREMENTS Primary outcomes include (i) average weekly standard drinks and (ii) rate of cognitive decline. Secondary outcomes include (i) typical quantity of drinks per drinking day; (ii) heavy episodic drinking; (iii) age-specific risky drinking; (iv) alcohol-related harms; (v) subjective cognitive complaints; and (vi) quality of life. All primary and secondary outcomes will be assessed at baseline, post-intervention (4 weeks) and 12 months. Effectiveness will be evaluated using multilevel linear regression, adjusting for baseline demographic differences. Bonferroni adjustments will be used to control for multiple comparisons. Multiple imputation, regression weighting and sensitivity analyses will assess the effect of attrition. COMMENTS This will be the first large-scale trial, internationally, to examine whether a brief internet-delivered intervention is effective in reducing alcohol consumption and cognitive decline among older adults. If successful, the intervention will provide an accessible and highly scalable treatment to reduce risky alcohol consumption in older adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Hoy
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Nicola Newton
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Nicole A Kochan
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Matthew Sunderland
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Andrew Baillie
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Cath Chapman
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Virginia Winter
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Perminder Sachdev
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Maree Teesson
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Louise Mewton
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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Haighton C, Kidd J, O’Donnell A, Wilson G, McCabe K, Ling J. 'I take my tablets with the whiskey': A qualitative study of alcohol and medication use in mid to later life. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0205956. [PMID: 30335835 PMCID: PMC6193697 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Concurrent alcohol and medication use can result in significant problems especially in mid to later life. Alcohol is often used instead of medication for a number of health-related conditions. This novel qualitative study explored concurrent alcohol and medication use, as well as the use of alcohol for medicinal purposes, in a sample of individuals in mid to later life. Methods Twenty-four interviews (12 men/12 women, ages 51–90 years) and three focus groups (n = 27, 6 men/21 women, ages 50–95 years) from three branches of Age UK and two services for alcohol problems in North East England. Results Older people in this study often combined alcohol and medication, frequently without discussing this with their family doctor. However, being prescribed medication could act as a motivating factor to stop or reduce alcohol consumption. Participants also used alcohol to self-medicate, to numb pain, aid sleep or cope with stress and anxiety. Some participants used alcohol to deal with depression although alcohol was also reported as a cause of depression. Women in this study reported using alcohol to cope with mental health problems while men were more likely to describe reducing their alcohol consumption as a consequence of being prescribed medication. Conclusions As older people often combine alcohol and medication, health professionals such as family doctors, community nurses, and pharmacists should consider older patients’ alcohol consumption prior to prescribing or dispensing medication and should monitor subsequent drinking. In particular, older people should be informed of the dangers of concurrent alcohol and medication use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Haighton
- Department of Social Work, Education and Community Wellbeing, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
- Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Jess Kidd
- Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Amy O’Donnell
- Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Graeme Wilson
- Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
- Reid School of Music, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Karen McCabe
- School of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Sunderland, Sunderland, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan Ling
- School of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Sunderland, Sunderland, United Kingdom
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Matthews DB, Mittleman G. Age-dependent effects of chronic intermittent ethanol treatment: Gross motor behavior and body weight in aged, adult and adolescent rats. Neurosci Lett 2017; 657:146-150. [PMID: 28789984 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2017.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2017] [Revised: 07/24/2017] [Accepted: 08/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The proportion of people in the population who are elderly is rapidly increasing. In addition, dangerous alcohol consumption in this demographic is rising. Approximately 33% of all people with an alcohol use disorder are diagnosed with late onset alcoholism. However, few suitable animal models for late onset alcoholism exist, making it difficult to investigate the impact of alcoholism later in life. The current study investigated if chronic intermittent ethanol exposure via intraperitoneal injections every other day for 20days in aged, adult and adolescent male rats differentially alters body weight and impairs gross motor behavior as measured by the aerial righting reflex. The body weight of aged and adult rats were significantly decreased by chronic intermittent ethanol exposure while the body weight of adolescent rats was not impacted. In addition, the aerial righting reflex of aged rats was significantly more impaired by alcohol exposure than the aerial righting reflex of adult or adolescent animals. Chronic intermittent ethanol exposure did not produce tolerance in the aerial righting reflex for any of the three age groups. The differential age sensitivity in the aerial righting reflex was not due to differential blood ethanol concentrations. The current work demonstrates the risk factors of chronic alcohol use in the elderly and highlights the need for additional study in this vulnerable demographic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas B Matthews
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, United States.
| | - Guy Mittleman
- Department of Psychological Science, Ball State University, United States
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Livingston M, Raninen J, Slade T, Swift W, Lloyd B, Dietze P. Understanding trends in Australian alcohol consumption-an age-period-cohort model. Addiction 2016; 111:1590-8. [PMID: 27351584 DOI: 10.1111/add.13396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2015] [Revised: 12/21/2015] [Accepted: 03/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
AIMS To decompose Australian trends in alcohol consumption into their age, period (survey year) and cohort (birth year/generation) components. In particular, we aimed to test whether recent declines in overall consumption have been influenced by reductions in drinking among recently born cohorts. DESIGN Seven cross-sectional waves of the Australian National Drug Strategy Household Survey (1995-2013). Age, period and cohort effects were estimated using a linear and logistic cross-classified random-effects models (CCREMs). SETTING Australia PARTICIPANTS A total of 124 440 Australians (69 193 females and 55 257 males), aged 14-79 years. MEASUREMENTS Whether or not respondents consumed alcohol in the 12 months prior to the survey and, for those who did, the estimated volume of pure alcohol consumed, derived using standard quantity-frequency survey questions. FINDINGS Controlling for age and period effects, there was significant variation in drinking participation and drinking volume by birth cohort. In particular, male cohorts born between the 1965 and 1974 and female cohorts born between 1955 and 1974 reported higher rates of drinking participation (P < 0.05), while the most recent cohorts (born in the 1990s) had lower rates of participation (P < 0.01). Among drinkers, the most recently born cohort also had sharply lower average consumption volumes than older cohorts for both men and women (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION Recent birth cohorts (born between 1995 and 1999) in Australia report significantly lower rates of both drinking participation and drinking volume than previous cohorts, controlling for their age distribution and overall changes in population drinking. These findings suggest that the recent decline in alcohol consumption in Australia has been driven by declines in drinking among these recently born cohorts. These trends are consistent with international shifts in youth drinking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Livingston
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.,Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Jonas Raninen
- CAN (Swedish Council for Information on Alcohol and Other Drugs), Stockholm, Sweden.,Karolinska Institutet, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tim Slade
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Wendy Swift
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Belinda Lloyd
- Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.,Turning Point, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Paul Dietze
- The Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia.,School of public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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Roche A, Kostadinov V, Fischer J, Nicholas R, O'Rourke K, Pidd K, Trifonoff A. Addressing inequities in alcohol consumption and related harms. Health Promot Int 2016; 30 Suppl 2:ii20-35. [PMID: 26420810 DOI: 10.1093/heapro/dav030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Social determinants, or the conditions in which individuals are born, grow, live, work and age, can result in inequities in health and well-being. However, to-date little research has examined alcohol use and alcohol-related problems from an inequities and social determinants perspective. This study reviewed the evidence base regarding inequities in alcohol consumption and alcohol-related health outcomes in Australia and identified promising approaches for promoting health equity. Fair Foundations: the VicHealth framework for health equity was used as an organizing schema. The review found that social determinants can strongly influence inequities in alcohol consumption and related harms. In general, lower socioeconomic groups experience more harm than wealthier groups with the same level of alcohol consumption. While Australia has implemented numerous alcohol-related interventions and policies, most do not explicitly aim to reduce inequities, and some may inadvertently exacerbate existing inequities. Interventions with the greatest potential to decrease inequities in alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harms include town planning, zoning and licensing to prevent disproportionate clustering of outlets in disadvantaged areas; interventions targeting licensed venues; and interventions targeting vulnerable populations. Interventions that may worsen inequities include national guidelines, technological interventions and public drinking bans. There is a need for further research into the best methods for reducing inequities in alcohol consumption and related harms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann Roche
- National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction (NCETA), Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
| | - Victoria Kostadinov
- National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction (NCETA), Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
| | - Jane Fischer
- National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction (NCETA), Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
| | - Roger Nicholas
- National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction (NCETA), Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
| | - Kerryn O'Rourke
- Victorian Health Promotion Foundation, 15-31 Pelham Street, Carlton Victoria 3053, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Ken Pidd
- National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction (NCETA), Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
| | - Allan Trifonoff
- National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction (NCETA), Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
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A qualitative study of alcohol, health and identities among UK adults in later life. PLoS One 2013; 8:e71792. [PMID: 23940787 PMCID: PMC3737127 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0071792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2013] [Accepted: 07/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing alcohol consumption among older individuals is a public health concern. Lay understandings of health risks and stigma around alcohol problems may explain why public health messages have not reduced rates of heavy drinking in this sector. A qualitative study aimed to elucidate older people's reasoning about drinking in later life and how this interacted with health concerns, in order to inform future, targeted, prevention in this group. In 2010 a diverse sample of older adults in North East England (ages 50–95) participated in interviews (n = 24, 12 male, 12 female) and three focus groups (participants n = 27, 6 male, 21 female). Data were analysed using grounded theory and discursive psychology methods. When talking about alcohol use older people oriented strongly towards opposed identities of normal or problematic drinker, defined by propriety rather than health considerations. Each of these identities could be applied in older people's accounts of either moderate or heavy drinking. Older adults portrayed drinking less alcohol as an appropriate response if one experienced impaired health. However continued heavy drinking was also presented as normal behaviour for someone experiencing relative wellbeing in later life, or if ill health was construed as unrelated to alcohol consumption. Older people displayed scepticism about health advice on alcohol when avoiding stigmatised identity as a drinker. Drinking patterns did not appear to be strongly defined by gender, although some gendered expectations of drinking were described. Identities offer a useful theoretical concept to explain the rises in heavy drinking among older populations, and can inform preventive approaches to tackle this. Interventions should engage and foster positive identities to sustain healthier drinking and encourage at the community level the identification of heavy drinking as neither healthy nor synonymous with dependence. Future research should test and assess such approaches.
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