Validation of the AUDIT and AUDIT-C for Hazardous Drinking in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Background: One of the best-known tools in screening for hazardous drinking is the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and its abbreviated form, the AUDIT-C. The aim of the present study is to determine the cut-offs of both instruments in identifying hazardous drinking in older adults. Method: A sample of 1577 older adults completed a questionnaire regarding alcohol behavior. Hazardous drinking was defined as drinking >10 units/week. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves of AUDIT and AUDIT-C were calculated and cut-off scores were derived. Results: Respectively 27.3% and 12.3% of older men and women drank >10 units/week. For the AUDIT the best trade-off between sensitivity and specificity was using a cut-off of ≥5 for men and ≥4 for women, which yielded in men sensitivity and specificity values respectively of 80.7% and 81.3% and in women 100% and 71.7%, respectively. We found the AUDIT-C to perform well with an optimal cut-off of ≥5 for men and ≥4 for women, which generated in men sensitivity and specificity values respectively of 76.5% and 85.3% and in women 100% and 74.1%, respectively. Conclusion: The AUDIT-C is accurate and sufficient in screening for hazardous drinking in community-dwelling older adults if the cut-offs are tailored by gender.

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PREVALENCE AND CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED WITH ALCOHOL USE AND ALCOHOL RELATED PROBLEMS IN COMMUNITY DWELLING OLDER ADULTS

Journal of Aging Research and Lifestyle ◽

10.14283/jarcp.2019.6 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Y. van Gils ◽

E. Franck ◽

S.J.P. van Alphen ◽

E. Dierckx

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

At Risk ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Binge Drinking ◽

Associated Factors ◽

Alcohol Problems ◽

Hazardous Drinking ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults ◽

Alcohol Related Problems

Objective: This study examine the prevalence, characteristics and associated factors of alcohol use and alcohol related problems among Belgian community dwelling older adults. Design: Retrospective cross-sectional study by extensive examination survey. Setting: The participants were questioned in their homes or in community centres. Participants: Overall, 1,366 adults ≥65 years participated in this study. Method: Information about self-reported alcohol use during the past year, Health Related Quality of Life (HRQL) and alcohol related problems was gathered with respectively the AUDIT, SF36 and MAST-G. Results: Of the total sample, 84.4% reported alcohol consumption. Using the NIAAA guidelines, the overall prevalence for at risk drinking was 26.6% and for binge drinking 14.8%, both risky alcohol patterns. Logistic regression analyses were performed on the drinking sample to determine the predictors associated with at risk drinking, binge drinking and hazardous drinking. Being male, a smoker of former smoker and living alone were associated with at risk drinking. Being male, being aged 65-74 years, being a smoker, reporting polypharmacy, MCS and having recent loss experience were associated with binge drinking. More than 25% of respondents were classified as hazardous drinking (score ≥5 on MAST-G). Associated factors with hazardous drinking were being male, having a family history of alcohol problems, PCS and MCS. Conclusions: The prevalence rates for at risk alcohol patterns and alcohol related problems were higher than in previous studies. As older adults are more vulnerable to the adverse consequences of alcohol use, awareness about alcohol use should be raised among older adults, as well as amongst health care givers and researchers.

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Hyposmia and Neuroimaging Signature in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1709 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 530-530

Author(s):

Cynthia Felix ◽

Lana Chahine ◽

Honglei Chen ◽

Zichun Cao ◽

Caterina Rosano

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Gray Matter ◽

Orbitofrontal Cortex ◽

Diffusion Tensor ◽

Mean Diffusivity ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Intracranial Volume ◽

Total Brain ◽

Identification Test ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults

Abstract Olfaction declines with aging, and hyposmia, or impaired sense of smell, is associated with neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Neuroimaging studies of hyposmia in AD/PD patients have often examined pathology-specific brain regions. Our knowledge of neural correlates in regions that mediate olfaction in community-dwelling older adults, is limited. We quantified mean diffusivity (MD) of the gray matter (GM) using diffusion tensor imaging in a community-dwelling sample of 308 older adults (mean age: 82.9 years, 58% women, 40% black). We focused on total brain and these regions involved in olfaction- olfactory bulb, amygdala, entorhinal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, and hippocampus. Smell was tested with a scratch-and-sniff validated odor identification test, the Brief Smell Identification Test (BSIT). Hyposmia was defined as BSIT score of ≤8, assessed about 7 years prior to neuroimaging. In our sample, 23% had hyposmia, more in in men (30%) than in women (19%). Hyposmia was not significantly associated with cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension; diseases such as stroke; age; race; cognitive or mobility functions (all p>0.1). In linear regression models adjusted for demographics and brain atrophy (total brain gray matter volume divided by intracranial volume), hyposmia was significantly associated with higher GM MD (lower microstructural integrity) of the left orbitofrontal cortex (standardized beta: 0.142, t=2.56, p=0.011). Understanding the neural substrates involved in hyposmia in aging is an important step towards advancing research on hyposmia in non-clinic-based, community-dwelling populations.

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The Mini Cog had high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing dementia in community dwelling older adults

Evidence-Based Medicine ◽

10.1136/ebm.6.5.159 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 6 (5) ◽

pp. 159-159 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

C. Hirsch

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Sensitivity And Specificity ◽

High Sensitivity ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults

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Validation and Screening Capacity of the European Portuguese Version of the SUNFRAIL Tool for Community-Dwelling Older Adults

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18041394 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 1394

Author(s):

Ana Filipa Cardoso ◽

Elzbieta Bobrowicz-Campos ◽

Luísa Teixeira-Santos ◽

Daniela Cardoso ◽

Filipa Couto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Sensitivity And Specificity ◽

Internal Consistency ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Screening Tools ◽

Validity And Reliability ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Portuguese Version ◽

European Portuguese ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults

Early detection of frailty may prevent or delay adverse health outcomes in community-dwelling older adults. In Portugal, there are currently no valid multidimensional frailty screening tools. SUNFRAIL is a user-friendly multidimensional tool for frailty screening that can be used in primary care. Aims: (i) to determine the validity and reliability of the European Portuguese version of the SUNFRAIL tool for use in community-dwelling older adults; (ii) to assess the screening capacity of this version of SUNFRAIL using Fried’s phenotypic model criteria for frailty as a reference test. Methods: Cross-sectional pilot study in a convenience sample of 128 community-dwelling older adults. Objective and subjective data were collected. Internal consistency, concurrent validity, sensitivity, and specificity (ROC curve analysis) were examined. Results: Internal consistency was low. Significant moderate to strong correlations were found between different domains and the total score. The differences between robust, pre-frail, and frail older adults were significant. SUNFRAIL was also correlated with multimorbidity. Sensitivity and specificity were satisfactory. Conclusions: The European Portuguese version of the SUNFRAIL tool is a promising frailty screening tool for community-dwelling older adults to be routinely used in clinical practice. However, more consistent results on its validity and reliability are needed to be used nationwide.

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Associations of Social Relationships with Consultation for Symptoms of Depression: A Community Study of Depression in Older Men and Women in Québec

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/02.13.15.pr0.108.2.537-552 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 108 (2) ◽

pp. 537-552 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Samia-Djemaa Mechakra-Tahiri ◽

Maria Victoria Zunzunegui ◽

Micheline Dubé ◽

Michel Préville

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Social Relationships ◽

Older Men ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Community Study ◽

Men And Women ◽

Symptoms Of Depression ◽

French Speaking ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults ◽

Older Men And Women

To assess associations between social relationships and consultation for symptoms of depression, data from a representative sample of 2,811 French-speaking community-dwelling older adults in Québec were used. Less than half of the older adults meeting DSM criteria for depression ( N = 379; 47.1%) had sought consultation about their depression-relevant symptoms in the preceding 12 months. Having a cohabitant partner or having children were not associated with frequency of consultation for women. Men without a partner tended to consult more frequently than men with a cohabiting partner (OR = 2.5; 95% CI = 0.81, 7.88). None of the men without a confidant had consulted. Among the 67 men with a confidant, consultation was more frequent among those not cohabiting with a partner (70%) than among those with a cohabiting partner (46%). The influence of social relationships on consultation for depression differed in men and women in this population of depressed elderly people in Québec.

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