scholarly journals Trends in older adults’ alcohol use in Norway 1985–2019

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 444-458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elin K Bye ◽  
Inger Synnøve Moan

Aims: To examine the prevalence of and trends in older adults’ (60–79 years) alcohol use in Norway between 1985 and 2019. Methods: Data stem from two repeated cross-sectional surveys in the Norwegian population: Statistics Norway’s Health and Living Conditions Surveys from 1985 ( N = 7799), 1995 ( N = 3518) and 2005 ( N = 6487), and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health’s (NIPH) annual surveys on alcohol, tobacco and drug use from 2012/2013 ( N = 4047), 2014/2015 ( N = 4378), 2016/2017 ( N = 4264) and 2018/2019 ( N = 4330). The following measures were used to examine trends in alcohol use among women and men aged 60 and older: drinking status, drinking frequency, number of drinks per occasion, and frequency of heavy episodic drinking (HED). Results: Between 1985 and 2019, there has been a substantial increase in the proportions of older adults in Norway who drink alcohol and who drink relatively often. The increase was particularly marked between 1985 and 2012/2013, and for elderly women. However, the majority of older adults drink small amounts of alcohol on typical drinking occasions, illustrating that the increased frequency of drinking is not accompanied by a corresponding increase in risky drinking. Conclusions: There has been a marked increase in alcohol use among older adults the past 30 years, particularly among older women, suggesting that the age and gender gap traditionally found in alcohol use in Norway is diminishing. Due to the lower alcohol tolerance among elderly, monitoring the changing trends in alcohol use in this group, as well as the possible consequences of these changes, is important.

Author(s):  
Silke Behrendt ◽  
Barbara Braun ◽  
Randi Bilberg ◽  
Gerhard Bühringer ◽  
Michael Bogenschutz ◽  
...  

Abstract. Background: The number of older adults with alcohol use disorder (AUD) is expected to rise. Adapted treatments for this group are lacking and information on AUD features in treatment seeking older adults is scarce. The international multicenter randomized-controlled clinical trial “ELDERLY-Study” with few exclusion criteria was conducted to investigate two outpatient AUD-treatments for adults aged 60+ with DSM-5 AUD. Aims: To add to 1) basic methodological information on the ELDERLY-Study by providing information on AUD features in ELDERLY-participants taking into account country and gender, and 2) knowledge on AUD features in older adults seeking outpatient treatment. Methods: baseline data from the German and Danish ELDERLY-sites (n=544) were used. AUD diagnoses were obtained with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, alcohol use information with Form 90. Results: Lost control, desired control, mental/physical problem, and craving were the most prevalent (> 70 %) AUD-symptoms. 54.9 % reported severe DSM-5 AUD (moderate: 28.2 %, mild: 16.9 %). Mean daily alcohol use was 6.3 drinks at 12 grams ethanol each. 93.9 % reported binging. More intense alcohol use was associated with greater AUD-severity and male gender. Country effects showed for alcohol use and AUD-severity. Conclusion: European ELDERLY-participants presented typical dependence symptoms, a wide range of severity, and intense alcohol use. This may underline the clinical significance of AUD in treatment-seeking seniors.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 450-450
Author(s):  
Shu Xu

Abstract The loss of a family member may have a significant influence on one’s aging experience in life. Self-perceptions of aging, which are an individual’s beliefs or evaluation of their experiences of aging, have been described as an important factor for one’s health and daily life. However, there is little research on the association between family death and self-perceptions of aging. This study examines the relationships between recent family death, self-perceptions of aging, and gender of the bereaved among middle-aged and older adults. Using nationally representative data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), we conducted cross-sectional analysis on adults age 50 years and older (n=1,839). Self-perceptions of aging were accessed by 8 items derived from the Attitudes Toward Own Aging subscale of the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale and the Berlin Aging Study, and we considered recent family death (i.e., parental death, spousal death, sibling death and child death), as well as gender of the bereaved. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that respondents who experienced recent family death report less positive self-perceptions of aging compared to those who did not experience recent family death (t = 12.40, p < .01). Recent parental death was more negatively related with self-perceptions of aging for bereaved women than for bereaved men (χ2 = 4.28, p < .05). Findings suggest that middle-aged and older adults experiencing recent family loss have less positive self-perceptions of aging, and gender of the bereaved plays an important role in the relationship between parental death and self-perceptions of aging.


2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110014
Author(s):  
W. J. Kiekens ◽  
L. Baams ◽  
J. N. Fish ◽  
R. J. Watson

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) adolescents report higher rates of dating violence victimization compared with their heterosexual and cisgender peers. Research on dating violence often neglects diversity in sexual and gender identities and is limited to experiences in relationships. Further, given that dating violence and alcohol use are comorbid, research on experiences of dating violence could provide insights into alcohol use disparities among SGM adolescents. We aimed to map patterns of relationship experiences, sexual and physical dating violence, and sexual and physical assault and explored differences in these experiences among SGM adolescents. Further, we examined how these patterns explained alcohol use. We used a U.S. non-probability national web-based survey administered to 13–17-year-old SGM adolescents ( N = 12,534). Using latent class analyses, four patterns were identified: low relationship experience, dating violence and harassment and assault (72.0%), intermediate dating experiences, sexual harassment, and assault and low levels of dating violence (13.1%), high dating experiences, dating violence, and sexual assault (8.6%), and high dating experiences, dating violence, and sexual harassment and assault (6.3%). Compared to lesbian and gay adolescents, bisexual adolescents reported more experiences with dating, dating violence, and sexual assault, whereas heterosexual adolescents reported fewer experiences with dating, dating violence, and sexual harassment and assault. Compared to cisgender boys, cisgender girls, transgender boys, and non-binary/assigned male at birth adolescents were more likely to experience dating violence inside and outside of relationship contexts. Experiences of dating, dating violence, and sexual harassment and assault were associated with both drinking frequency and heavy episodic drinking. Together, the findings emphasize the relevance of relationship experiences when studying dating violence and how dating violence and sexual harassment and assault might explain disparities in alcohol use.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 249
Author(s):  
Luca Flesia ◽  
Valentina Fietta ◽  
Carlo Foresta ◽  
Merylin Monaro

To date, the relationship between alcohol use and dating app use has been investigated mostly in conjunction with sexual activities and in homosexual men. For this reason, the aim of this study was to explore the association between dating app use and alcohol consumption among the general population. A cross-sectional study was conducted including app users, non-users, and former users: 1278 respondents completed an online ad hoc questionnaire assessing dating app use, motivations for installing dating apps, alcohol use, and demographics. Multiple logistic regression analysis was run to investigate the association between dating app use, demographic features, and alcohol consumption. Whereas educational level, age, and gender significantly contributed to the regular consumption of alcohol, dating app use did not account for a significant amount of variance between regular and not regular drinkers. However, people who installed and used dating apps with the motivation of searching for sexual partners were more likely to be regular drinkers. Among the active users, heavy app users were less likely to drink regularly. The study indicates that underlying factors (sexual aspects, motives for using the apps) and the intensity of using the apps may mediate the relationship between dating app use and alcohol use.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lewis Robert Anderson ◽  
Christiaan Willem Simon Monden ◽  
Erzsebet Bukodi

Individuals exposed to both job loss and marital dissolution are likely to be highly disadvantaged, having experienced stresses and losses in the two primary domains of life. Moreover, recent literature finds that exposure to one event tends to increase risk of the other. However, next to nothing is known about the size or composition – or changes therein – of the divorced/separated and unemployed (DSU) subpopulation. Using large, nationally representative, repeated cross-sectional datasets extending back to 1984, we aim to fill this gap for the UK. We give a descriptive account of the prevalence and social distribution of DSU, and of the cross-sectional association between its two component states: among which groups, by education and gender, does being either divorced/separated or unemployed most strongly imply a heightened risk of also being the other, and how has this changed over time? We find stable and strong educational inequality in DSU, while the gender gap has narrowed and recently closed. The association between the two states is stronger among men; has weakened strikingly over the time period we consider, for both men and, especially, women; and is educationally stratified among men but not women. Contrary to expectations, higher-educated men in one of the two states are most likely to also be in the other. Possible explanations and further questions are discussed. In particular, we highlight the possibility that over this time period the divorced/separated have become more like the general population, rather than a negatively selected subgroup among whom unemployment is a particular risk.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
María Fernanda Rivadeneira ◽  
María José Mendieta ◽  
Jessica Villavicencio ◽  
José Caicedo-Gallardo ◽  
Patricio Buendía

Abstract Background Healthy ageing is a complex construct which involves multiple dimensions. Previous studies of healthy ageing have focused only on measuring the intrinsic capacity of the older person. The objectives of this study were to design a multidimensional model of healthy ageing and to identify its determinants from national data in Ecuador. Methods A cross-sectional analytical study was carried out from the National Survey of Health and Well-being of the Older Adult, 2010. Sample was 1797 adults aged 65 years or more. A multidimensional model was designed based on the World Health Organization’s concept of healthy ageing. For the analysis, two groups were created: a healthy ageing and a less healthy ageing group. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed to analyze the probability of belonging to the healthy group according to sex, age, area of ​​residence, level of education, perceived health status, perceived life satisfaction, and poverty by income level. Results The 53.15% of the sample was classified in the healthy ageing group. Women and the poorest older adults were less likely to be in the healthy ageing group (OR 0.58; 95% CI 0.464–0.737; OR 0.44; 95% CI 0.343–0.564). Older adults with secondary education or higher, who considered their health as excellent and who were satisfied with their life, had a greater probability of being in healthy ageing group (OR 2.61; 95% CI 1.586–4.309; OR 28.49; 95% CI 3.623–224.02; OR 0.23; 95% CI 0.165–0.341). Conclusions This study contributes with a multidimensional approach to healthy ageing. It proposes to evaluate the intrinsic capacity of the individual, the social and political environment and the interaction with it, through indicators that discriminate who are ageing in a healthy way and who are not. By using this model, it was identified that gender and economic situation seem to play an important role on heathy ageing of the Ecuadorian population. Public policies are necessary to promote healthy ageing, especially focused on improving socioeconomic conditions and gender equity.


Author(s):  
Jonathan Kingsley ◽  
Nyssa Hadgraft ◽  
Neville Owen ◽  
Takemi Sugiyama ◽  
David W. Dunstan ◽  
...  

This study investigates the associations of vigorous-intensity gardening time with cardiometabolic health risk markers. This cross-sectional study (AusDiab) analyzed 2011–2012 data of 3,664 adults (55% women, mean [range], age = 59.3 [34–94] years) in Australia. Multiple linear regression models examined associations of time spent participating in vigorous gardening (0, <150 min/week, ≥150 min/week) with a clustered cardiometabolic risk (CMR) score and its components, for the whole sample and stratified by age and gender. Of participants, 61% did no vigorous gardening, 23% reported <150 min/week, and 16% reported ≥150 min/week. In the whole sample, spending ≥150 min/week in vigorous gardening was associated with lower CMR (lower CMR score, waist circumference, diastolic blood pressure, and triglycerides) compared with no vigorous gardening. Stratified analyses suggested that these associations were almost exclusively observed for older adults and women. These findings suggest the public health potential of vigorous-intensity gardening in reducing CMR.


2010 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip D St John ◽  
Wanda M Snow ◽  
Suzanne L Tyas

SummaryAlcohol use is common in older adults and is associated with numerous health and social problems. Recent evidence suggests that in addition to level of alcohol consumption, drinking pattern may also be important. Moderate alcohol intake may confer some cardiac benefits, while heavy episodic drinking seems particularly problematic. Detecting alcohol misuse in older adults is difficult since clinical acumen is often poor, screening questionnaires have serious limitations and laboratory tests are not diagnostic. Brief alcohol interventions to reduce alcohol consumption appear useful in younger populations, but are less studied in older adults. While there is increasing research into the issue of alcohol use among older adults, clinicians and policy-makers must rely on limited evidence when making clinical decisions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 570-570
Author(s):  
Ronica Rooks ◽  
Allison Leanage

Abstract Little longitudinal research exists on health and working among older racial and ethnic minority adults. Following previous cross-sectional research, we examine the Health, Aging, and Body Composition (HABC) study comparing working vs. not working overtime among older adults. We hypothesize: 1) Black vs. White adults are more likely to work; 2) Black vs. White differences in working are greater among women than men; and 3) Working relates to fewer prevalent health problems than not working. We used gender-stratified descriptive statistics and generalized mixed-effects logistic regression with covariate adjustments to analyze the HABC cohort study, with community-dwelling, well-functioning Black (42%) and White older adults aged 70-79 in year 1 (n=3,069) to year 6 (n=2,091). We found support for all three hypotheses. Black vs. White adults were more likely to work overtime. Women were less likely to work overtime compared to men. White women were less likely to keep working compared to men and Black women. Lastly, older adults with fewer chronic conditions were more likely to continue working. Our study finds racial and gender differences among older adults working overtime. Intersectionality plays a role in older adults’ health and work disparities, leading us to explore the needs and/or benefits of working past retirement in specific groups. Our policy implication is for society to pro-actively invest in older adults’ health and productive activities, which may act as social determinants of health solutions to reduce disparities and growing social safety net program costs.


2013 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 106-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianna de Abreu Costa ◽  
Giovanni Abrahão Salum Junior ◽  
Luciano Rassier Isolan ◽  
Jandira Rahmeier Acosta ◽  
Rafaela Behs Jarros ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND: Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent, affecting approximately 10% of individuals throughout life; its onset can be detected since early childhood or adolescence. Studies in adults have shown that anxiety disorders are associated with alcohol abuse, but few studies have investigated the association between anxiety symptoms and problematic alcohol use in early ages. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate if anxiety symptoms are associated with problematic alcohol use in young subjects. METHODS: A total of 239 individuals aged 10-17 years were randomly selected from schools located in the catchment area of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre. The Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) was used to evaluate the presence of anxiety symptoms, and the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST), to evaluate alcohol use. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-seven individuals (53.1% ) reported having already used alcohol. Of these, 14 individuals showed problematic alcohol use (5.8% ). There was no association between lifetime use of alcohol and anxiety symptoms, but mean SCARED scores in individuals with problematic alcohol use was higher if compared to those without problematic use, even after adjustment for age and gender (29.9±8.5 vs. 23.7±11.8, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the limitation of a cross-sectional design, our study suggests that anxiety symptoms are associated with problematic alcohol use early in life.


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