Gender Differences in the Link Between Excessive Drinking and Domain-Specific Cognitive Functioning Among Older Adults

Abstract

Objective: This study investigated gender differences in the relationship between excessive drinking and two cognitive domains among older adults. Method: Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, 3,888 females and 2,350 males were analyzed separately. Multivariate regression was used to analyze the association between excessive drinking and fluid intelligence score. Logistic regression was conducted to examine the relationship between excessive drinking and crystallized intelligence. Results: Multivariate analysis showed that compared to non–excessive drinking, excessive drinking did not have a significant impact on fluid intelligence for either women or men, but it had a significantly negative association with a high crystallized intelligence score for women. Discussion: Findings suggest that the relationship between excessive drinking and cognition varies with gender when crystallized intelligence is measured. Clinicians and service providers should consider gender differences when developing strategies for the prevention and treatment of alcohol-related cognitive decline among older adults.