Abstract
There is a lack of standardization regarding how to assess and categorize alcohol intake in older adults. The aim of this study was to systematically review methods used in epidemiological studies to define drinking patterns and measure alcohol consumption among older adults. A systematic search was conducted in the MEDLINE, PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and CINAHL databases for studies published from January 2009 to April 2021. Studies were included if they were observational studies with a quantitative design; the mean age of the participants was ≥ 65 years; questionnaires, screening tools, or diagnostic tools were used to define alcohol consumption; and alcohol consumption was self-reported. Of 492 studies considered, 105 were included. Among the 105 studies, we detected 19 different drinking patterns, and each drinking pattern had a wide range of definitions. The drinking patterns abstaining from alcohol, current drinking, and risk drinking had seven, 12 and 21 diverse definitions, respectively. The most used questionnaire and screening tools were the quantity-frequency questionnaire, with a recall period of 12 months, and the full and short versions of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, respectively. No consensus was found regarding methods used to assess, define, and measure alcohol consumption in older adults. Identical assessments and definitions must be developed to make valid comparisons of alcohol consumption in older adults. We recommend that alcohol surveys for older adults define the following drinking patterns: lifetime abstainers, former drinkers, current drinkers, risk drinking, and heavy episodic drinking. Standardized and valid definitions of risk drinking, and heavy episodic drinking should be developed. The expanded quantity-frequency questionnaire including three questions focused on drinking frequency, drinking volume, and heavy episodic drinking, with a recall period of 12 months, could be used.
Highlights
In recent years, epidemiological studies on alcohol consumption in older adults have been carried out quite regularly, especially in the United States of America (USA) [1,2,3,4,5] and Europe [6,7,8,9]
The drinking patterns abstaining from alcohol, current drinking, and risk drinking had seven, 12 and 21 diverse definitions, respectively
The drinking patterns abstaining from alcohol, current drinking, risk drinking, and heavy drinking had, for example, Table 2
Summary
Epidemiological studies on alcohol consumption in older adults have been carried out quite regularly, especially in the United States of America (USA) [1,2,3,4,5] and Europe [6,7,8,9]. The United Kingdom (UK) uses the term unit of alcohol, which is defined as 8 grams of alcohol [24, 27] This means that a unit of alcohol in the UK is equivalent to 0.564 (just over half) of a standard drink in the USA. A standard drink or unit of alcohol might be referred to as a beverage [16] or a glass of alcohol [28] in other studies In this manuscript, we use the term “drink”, which corresponds to a standard drink in the USA and a unit of alcohol in the UK/Europe. The aim of this study was to systematically review methods used in epidemiological studies to define drinking patterns and measure alcohol consumption among older adults
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
