Neda Agahi1, Lena Dahlberg2, Carin Lennartsson3. 1. Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet/Stockholm University, Tomtebodavägen 18A, 171 65, Solna, Sweden. Electronic address: neda.agahi@ki.se. 2. Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet/Stockholm University, Tomtebodavägen 18A, 171 65, Solna, Sweden; Dalarna University, School of Education, Health and Social Studies, 791 88, Falun, Sweden. Electronic address: ldh@du.se. 3. Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet/Stockholm University, Tomtebodavägen 18A, 171 65, Solna, Sweden. Electronic address: carin.lennartsson@ki.se.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Today's older people drink more alcohol than earlier cohorts of older people. Social integration has been identified as an important factor for older people's drinking, but the association is complex. This study investigates both high and low levels of social integration and their associations with longitudinal patterns of alcohol consumption among older women and men. METHODS: Longitudinal nationally representative data of older Swedish women and men aged over 65 - the Swedish Level of Living Survey (LNU) and Swedish Panel Study of Living Conditions of the Oldest Old (SWEOLD) - from 2010/2011 and 2014 (n = 1048). Associations between social contacts and social activities at baseline and longitudinal patterns of drinking frequency were examined with multinomial logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Men reported drinking alcohol more often than women, but the most common drinking frequency among both women and men was to drink monthly or less. Drinking habits were generally stable over time. People with high levels of social activity at baseline were more likely to have a stable daily or weekly drinking frequency or increased drinking frequency over the four-year follow-up period, particularly women. People with low levels of social contacts and/or social activities were less likely to have a stable daily or weekly drinking frequency, compared to people in the low and stable drinking frequency group. CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol consumption is embedded in a social context, older people drink in social situations and social integration predicts continued drinking patterns.
BACKGROUND: Today's older people drink more alcohol than earlier cohorts of older people. Social integration has been identified as an important factor for older people's drinking, but the association is complex. This study investigates both high and low levels of social integration and their associations with longitudinal patterns of alcohol consumption among older women and men. METHODS: Longitudinal nationally representative data of older Swedish women and men aged over 65 - the Swedish Level of Living Survey (LNU) and Swedish Panel Study of Living Conditions of the Oldest Old (SWEOLD) - from 2010/2011 and 2014 (n = 1048). Associations between social contacts and social activities at baseline and longitudinal patterns of drinking frequency were examined with multinomial logistic regression analyses. RESULTS:Men reported drinking alcohol more often than women, but the most common drinking frequency among both women and men was to drink monthly or less. Drinking habits were generally stable over time. People with high levels of social activity at baseline were more likely to have a stable daily or weekly drinking frequency or increased drinking frequency over the four-year follow-up period, particularly women. People with low levels of social contacts and/or social activities were less likely to have a stable daily or weekly drinking frequency, compared to people in the low and stable drinking frequency group. CONCLUSIONS:Alcohol consumption is embedded in a social context, older people drink in social situations and social integration predicts continued drinking patterns.
Authors: Stefanos Tyrovolas; Dimitris Panaretos; Christina Daskalopoulou; Iago Gine-Vazquez; Albert Sanchez Niubo; Beatriz Olaya; Martin Bobak; Martin Prince; Matthew Prina; Jose Luis Ayuso-Mateos; Francisco Felix Caballero; Esther Garcia-Esquinas; Arndt Holger; Sergei Scherbov; Warren Sanderson; Ilenia Gheno; Ilona Koupil; Jerome Bickenbach; Somnath Chatterji; Seppo Koskinen; Alberto Raggi; Andrzej Pajak; Beata Tobiasz-Adamczyk; Josep Maria Haro; Demosthenes Panagiotakos Journal: Nutrients Date: 2020-06-11 Impact factor: 5.717