Clapp John D, Reed Mark B, Martel Brandi, Gonzalez Maria C, Ruderman Danielle
College of Social Work , The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.
Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2014 Nov;38(11):2862-8. doi: 10.1111/acer.12550. Epub 2014 Oct 21.
Substance abuse is the fastest growing health concern for older adults. Heavy drinking among older persons is associated with an increased risk of health consequences such as diabetes, cognitive impairment, sleep issues, and depression. It is important to note, however, the prevalence estimates of alcohol use among older adults are often based on inconsistent methodology. To address these potential methodological shortcomings, this study examines drinking patterns among low-income older adults using both self-report and unobtrusive methods.
The study was conducted in a low-income residential senior center in the United States. A total of 174 participants, aged 60 years or older, completed 2 self-administered cross-sectional surveys. A bogus recycling program was implemented to assess the amount of alcohol consumed by residents. Logistic regression analysis was utilized to model predictors of drinking status and to determine predictors of 3 category Alcohol Use and Disorders Identification Test scores. Bivariate associations that predicted associations with alcohol use were included in the final multivariate model. Alcohol containers collected from recycling were converted to standard drink estimates in order to calculate the capital consumption of residents.
About 40% of respondents reported consuming alcohol and 25% reported drinking at least once a week. On average, a total of 1,079 drinks were consumed per month. There were 3 significant predictors of drinking status: age, education, and diagnosis of diabetes. Additionally, there appears to be an increase in recycled alcohol containers coinciding with the time residents received their social security checks.
Overall, the combination of self-report and unobtrusive measures of alcohol consumption has potential to highlight different aspects of drinking behavior with a population living in a single dwelling such as a senior center apartment complex, residential hall, and the like.
药物滥用是老年人中增长最快的健康问题。老年人酗酒与糖尿病、认知障碍、睡眠问题和抑郁症等健康后果风险增加有关。然而，需要注意的是，老年人酒精使用的患病率估计往往基于不一致的方法。为解决这些潜在的方法学缺陷，本研究使用自我报告和非侵入性方法来研究低收入老年人的饮酒模式。
该研究在美国一个低收入住宅型老年中心进行。共有174名60岁及以上的参与者完成了两项自我管理的横断面调查。实施了一个虚假回收计划来评估居民的酒精消费量。采用逻辑回归分析对饮酒状况的预测因素进行建模，并确定酒精使用障碍识别测试三分制分数的预测因素。预测与酒精使用相关的双变量关联被纳入最终的多变量模型。从回收中收集的酒精容器被转换为标准饮酒量估计值，以计算居民的酒精消费量。
约40%的受访者报告饮酒，25%报告每周至少饮酒一次。平均每月共饮用1079杯酒。饮酒状况有三个显著预测因素：年龄、教育程度和糖尿病诊断。此外，回收的酒精容器数量似乎随着居民收到社会保障支票的时间而增加。
总体而言，自我报告和非侵入性酒精消费测量方法相结合，有可能突出居住在单一住所（如老年中心公寓楼、宿舍楼等）人群饮酒行为的不同方面。
