Regional and racial/ethnic variations in alcohol consumption among older adults

• Published in: Aging & mental health Vol. 23; no. 11; pp. 1503 - 1509
• Main Authors: Bryant, Ami N., Kim, Giyeon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Routledge 02-11-2019; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Adults; Aged; Alcohol consumption; Alcohol Drinking - epidemiology; Alcohol Drinking - ethnology; Alcohol use; Alcoholic beverages; Alcohols; Analysis of covariance; Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; Black or African American - psychology; Black or African American - statistics & numerical data; Consumption; Consumption patterns; Covariance; Drinking behavior; Ethnic differences; Ethnic groups; Ethnicity; Ethnicity - psychology; Ethnicity - statistics & numerical data; Female; Geography; Geriatric psychiatry; Geriatric psychology; Health behavior; Hispanic or Latino - psychology; Hispanic or Latino - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Minority & ethnic groups; older adults; Older people; Race; Racial Groups - psychology; Racial Groups - statistics & numerical data; racial/ethnic variations; regional effects; Risk analysis; Risk behavior; Risk factors; Risk taking; Socioeconomic Factors; Surveillance; Surveillance systems; United States - epidemiology; White People - psychology; White People - statistics & numerical data; United States; Alcohol consumption; older adults; regional effects; racial/ethnic variations
• ISSN: 1360-7863; 1364-6915; 1364-6915
• DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2018.1506746

Objectives: This paper sought to examine the role of region and race/ethnicity in alcohol consumption among older adults.
Methods: Data were obtained from the 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Participants aged 60 and older were included (n = 185, 190). Analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) were conducted to examine the effects of region and race/ethnicity on alcohol consumption among older adults.
Results: Results indicate that region and race/ethnicity are significantly related to the alcohol consumption of older adults. More specifically, results suggest that White older adults consume significantly more alcohol than other racial/ethnic groups among older adults. Regarding regional effects, results suggest that older adults in the West consume significantly more alcohol than older adults in the Midwest and South. Additionally, results suggest regional variation in alcohol consumption patterns by race/ethnicity.
Conclusion: Findings provide additional insight into how and where alcohol is being used among older adults in the United States. Further, findings highlight the importance of taking race/ethnicity and geography into consideration when investigating the health behaviors of older adults.