Alcohol Consumption, Life Course Transitions and Health in Later - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Alcohol Consumption, Life Course Transitions and Health in Later Life

Research Team:

Keele University University College of London Clare Holdsworth, PI Nicola Shelton Marina Mendonça Hyneck Pikhart Martin Frisher Cesar Oliveira

Objectives

• To extend understanding of the diversity of patterns of alcohol

consumption at older ages;

• To identify the socio-demographic dynamics of drinking during later life

and the life events that are associated with changes in drinking behaviours;

• To explore the relationship between drinking and health conditions in

later life;

• To establish the importance of secondary survey data in supporting policy

initiatives directed towards individual health behaviours;

• To inform health policy initiatives on drinking in later life through

identifying the risks associated with excessive drinking (binge drinking or drinking more than recommended weekly amounts) and the relationship between alcohol consumption, health and well-being in later life.

Data & Methodology

ELSA W0 (HSE): Baseline for alcohol variables

• English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA):
• Practice-informed modeling approach in collaboration with Beth

Johnson Foundation

• Cross-sectional analyses: Association between alcohol

consumption and socio-demographic and health variables

• Longitudinal analyses: Sequencing drinking behaviours over life

course; link between drinking behaviours and health; identifying whether changes in drinking behaviours are associated with individual characteristics

1998 1999 2001 W6 2012/13 W4 2008/9 W5 2010/11 W3 2006/7 W2 2004/5 W1 2002/3

Exploratory Phase

DRINKING BEHAVIOURS:

• Being a drinker (drinking

status)

• Regularity of drinking

(everyday drinking)

• Amount of alcohol

consumed weekly (exceeding recommended limits) SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC AND HEALTH VARIABLES:

• Life course transitions

(e.g. employment status

• Socio-economic capital

(e.g. income, education)

• Social Isolation (e.g.

household size, marital status)

• Health (e.g. self-reported

health Data: ELSA W0 (N=17150); Methodology: Cross-sectional

Descriptives (W0)

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 non-drinker drinker ≤ 4 drinking days almost/every day under or up to above drinking status everyday drinking recommended limits/week

Percentage distribution of alcohol variables by gender

men women

N = 17150; n (men) = 7685 (44.81%); n (women) = 9465 (55.19%)

Associations with drinking behaviours (only drinkers): coefficients of income

• 1.5
• 1
• 0.5

0.5 1 1.5 Bottom Quintile 2nd 3rd 4th

Predicting drinking almost/everyday: Men

• 1.5
• 1
• 0.5

0.5 1 1.5 Bottom Quintile 2nd 3rd 4th

Predicting drinking almost/everyday: Women

• 1.5
• 1
• 0.5

0.5 1 1.5 Bottom Quintile 2nd 3rd 4th

Predicting exceeding weekly rec. limits: Women

• 1.5
• 1
• 0.5

0.5 1 1.5 Bottom Quintile 2nd 3rd 4th

Predicting exceeding weekly rec. limits: Men

Concluding remarks

• Results are convergent with previous studies
• Men are more likely to be drinkers, drink more
• ften and drink in excess than women.
• Income is one of the most important

characteristics associated with drinking

• behaviours. Those in the highest income group

drink more and more often.

• Future: Important to disentangle the relationship

between drinking behaviours, income and health in later life.