Merrick Elizabeth L, Horgan Constance M, Hodgkin Dominic, Garnick Deborah W, Houghton Susan F, Panas Lee, Saitz Richard, Blow Frederic C
Institute for Behavioral Health, Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454, USA.
J Am Geriatr Soc. 2008 Feb;56(2):214-23. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2007.01539.x. Epub 2007 Dec 11.
To examine the prevalence of unhealthy drinking patterns in community-dwelling older adults and its association with sociodemographic and health characteristics.
Cross-sectional analysis of nationally representative survey data.
The data source was the 2003 Access to Care file of the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, which represents the continuously enrolled Medicare population.
Community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older (N=12,413).
The prevalence of unhealthy alcohol use by older adults defined in relation to two parameters of recommended limits: monthly use exceeding 30 drinks per typical month and "heavy episodic" drinking of four or more drinks in any single day during a typical month in the previous year. Sociodemographic and health status variables were also included.
Nine percent of elderly Medicare beneficiaries reported unhealthy drinking, with higher prevalence in men (16%) than women (4%). In logistic regression analyses with the full sample, higher education and income; better health status; male sex; younger age; smoking; being white; and being divorced, separated, or single were associated with higher likelihood of unhealthy drinking. Among drinkers, in addition to sociodemographic variables, self-reported depressive symptoms were positively associated with unhealthy drinking. Among unhealthy drinkers, race and ethnicity variables were associated with likelihood of heavy episodic drinking.
Almost one in 10 elderly Medicare beneficiaries report exceeding recommended drinking limits. Several distinct unhealthy drinking patterns were identified and associated with sociodemographic and health characteristics, suggesting the value of additional targeted approaches within the context of universal screening to reduce alcohol misuse by older adults.
研究社区居住的老年人中不健康饮酒模式的患病率及其与社会人口统计学和健康特征的关联。
对具有全国代表性的调查数据进行横断面分析。
数据来源是2003年医疗保险当前受益人调查的就医档案，该档案代表持续参保的医疗保险人群。
65岁及以上的社区居住医疗保险受益人（N = 12,413）。
根据推荐限量的两个参数定义老年人不健康饮酒的患病率：每月饮酒量超过典型月份的30杯，以及在前一年典型月份的任何一天中“大量饮酒”达4杯或更多杯。还纳入了社会人口统计学和健康状况变量。
9%的老年医疗保险受益人报告有不健康饮酒行为，男性患病率（16%）高于女性（4%）。在对全样本进行的逻辑回归分析中，较高的教育程度和收入、较好的健康状况、男性、较年轻的年龄、吸烟、白人以及离婚、分居或单身与不健康饮酒的可能性较高相关。在饮酒者中，除了社会人口统计学变量外，自我报告的抑郁症状与不健康饮酒呈正相关。在不健康饮酒者中，种族和民族变量与大量饮酒的可能性相关。
近十分之一的老年医疗保险受益人报告饮酒量超过推荐限量。识别出了几种不同的不健康饮酒模式，并将其与社会人口统计学和健康特征相关联，这表明在普遍筛查的背景下采取额外的针对性方法对于减少老年人酒精滥用具有重要意义。
