TY - JOUR
PY - 2020//
TI - Ageing and alcohol: drinking typologies among older adults
JO - Journal of aging and health
A1 - Roche, Ann M.
A1 - Harrison, Nathan J.
A1 - Chapman, Janine
A1 - Kostadinov, Victoria
A1 - Woodman, Richard J.
SP - ePub
EP - ePub
VL - ePub
IS - ePub
N2 - OBJECTIVES: Alcohol consumption and harms among older people are increasing. We examined different demographic characteristics and drinking patterns among an older population.
METHODS: Secondary analyses of nationally representative Australian data; subjects aged 50+ years (N = 10,856). Two-step cluster analysis was performed to identify demographic groups and alcohol consumption behaviours.
RESULTS: Three groups were identified: Group 1 (older, unmarried, and lived alone): >65 years, moderate drinkers, poorest health, psychological distress, social disadvantage, smokers, illicit drug users, and more frequent previous alcohol treatment. Group 3 (older married): >65 years, good health, low psychological distress, less likely to drink at risky levels, and one in five drank daily. Group 2 (younger married): 50-64 years, mostly employed, highest proportion of risky drinkers and of 5+ standard drinks per session, and liberal drinking attitudes with most concern from others about their drinking.
DISCUSSION: These demographic typologies can inform targeted prevention efforts for an estimated 1.3 million adults older than 50 years drinking at risky levels.
Language: en
LA - en SN - 0898-2643 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0898264320936953 ID - ref1 ER -