Affiliation:
1. Department of Preventive Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine Northwestern University Chicago Illinois USA
2. Department of Health Policy and Management University of Maryland School of Public Health College Park Maryland USA
3. Center for Applied Health Research on Aging, Feinberg School of Medicine Northwestern University Chicago Illinois USA
4. Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine Northwestern University Chicago Illinois USA
5. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine Northwestern University Chicago Illinois USA
Abstract
AbstractBackgroundIt is unclear how older adults with chronic conditions, who have greater risk of alcohol‐related adverse outcomes, used alcohol throughout the COVID‐19 pandemic. We assess changes in hazardous drinking prevalence May 2020–December 2021 and factors associated with hazardous drinking.MethodsData are from structured phone interviews of older adults (age 60+) with chronic conditions (e.g., hypertension, diabetes, pulmonary disease, heart disease) in a Chicago‐based longitudinal cohort (Chicago COVID‐19 Comorbidities survey, Waves 3–7, n = 247). We tested differences in the prevalence of hazardous drinking (defined as AUDIT‐C score of 3+ for women and 4+ for men) across waves for the full sample, by demographic group (sex, race, and ethnicity), and by chronic condition burden (<3 conditions, 3+ conditions). Generalized estimating equations investigated associations of hazardous drinking with sociodemographic and pandemic coping‐related factors (stress, loneliness, outside contacts, depression, anxiety).ResultsParticipants were 66.8% female; 27.9% non‐Hispanic Black, 14.2% Hispanic, 4.9% other race. Hazardous drinking was reported by 44.9% of participants in May 2020, but declined to 23.1% by July–August 2020 and continued to slowly decline to 19.4% by September–December 2021. Differences from May 2020 were significant at the 0.05 level. Subgroups followed similar trajectories. Hazardous drinking prevalence was initially higher but declined more among men than women, consistently higher among non‐Hispanic White respondents than among Hispanic and non‐Hispanic Black respondents, and declined more rapidly among adults with 3+ chronic conditions. In adjusted models, race and ethnicity were associated with lower prevalence of hazardous drinking (non‐Hispanic Black: adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] = 0.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.33, 0.74; other race: aPR = 0.26, 95% CI = 0.09, 0.81, compared with non‐Hispanic White). No coping‐related factors were significantly associated with hazardous drinking.ConclusionAmong a cohort of older adults with chronic conditions, almost half engaged in hazardous drinking in early summer of the COVID‐19 pandemic. While prevalence fell, these rates reinforce the need for alcohol screening and intervention in clinical settings among this population.
Funder
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
National Institute of Nursing Research
National Institute on Aging
Subject
Geriatrics and Gerontology
Cited by
1 articles.
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