@article{ref1,
title="Binge drinking among older adults in the United States, 2015 to 2017",
journal="Journal of the American Geriatrics Society",
year="2019",
author="Han, Benjamin H. and Moore, Alison A. and Ferris, Rosie and Palamar, Joseph J.",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="OBJECTIVES: Binge drinking is a risk factor for a range of harms. This study estimates the national prevalence of binge drinking and adds to our understanding of correlates of binge drinking among older adults in the United States. <br><br>DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: A total of 10 927 adults, aged 65 years or older, from the 2015 to 2017 administrations of the US National Survey on Drug Use and Health. MEASUREMENTS: We estimated the prevalence of past-month binge alcohol use (five or more drinks on the same occasion for men and four or more drinks on the same occasion for women). Characteristics of past-month binge drinkers, including demographics, substance use, serious mental illness, mental health treatment utilization, chronic disease, and emergency department (ED) use, were compared to participants who reported past-month alcohol use without binge drinking. Comparisons were made using χ<sup>2</sup> tests. We then used multivariable generalized linear models using Poisson and log link to examine the association between covariates and binge drinking among all past-month alcohol users aged 65 years or older. <br><br>RESULTS: Of 10 927 respondents, 10.6% (95% CI = 9.9%-11.2%) were estimated to be current binge drinkers. Binge drinkers were more likely to be male, have a higher prevalence of current tobacco and/or cannabis use, and have a lower prevalence of two or more chronic diseases compared to nonbinge drinkers. In multivariable analysis, among past-month alcohol users, the prevalence of binge drinking was higher among non-Hispanic African Americans than whites (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] = 1.44; 95% CI = 1.16-1.80), tobacco users (aPR = 1.52; 95% CI = 1.33-1.74), cannabis users (aPR = 1.41; 95% CI = 1.11-1.80), and those who visited the ED in the past year (aPR = 1.16; 95% CI = 1.00-1.33). <br><br>CONCLUSION: Over a tenth of older adults in the United States are estimated to be current binge drinkers. <br><br>RESULTS confirm the importance of screening for binge drinking behaviors among older adults to minimize harms.<br><br>© 2019 The American Geriatrics Society.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0002-8614",
doi="10.1111/jgs.16071",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jgs.16071"
}