Abstract
Problematic alcohol use has been increasing in older adults (55+) in recent decades. Many of the effective interventions that are available to prevent or reduce the negative effects of alcohol consumption are aimed at adults in general. It is unclear whether these interventions also work for older adults. The objective of this review was to understand how (i.e., which elements), in which context, and why (which mechanisms) interventions are successful in preventing or reducing (problematic) alcohol consumption among older adults. A systematic review of articles published between 2000 and 2022 was performed using PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science and CHINAHL. Realist evaluation was used to analyze the data. We found 61 studies on interventions aimed at preventing or reducing problematic alcohol use. Most of the interventions were not specifically designed for older adults but also included older adults. The findings of the current study highlight three major effective elements of interventions: (1) providing information on the consequences of alcohol consumption; (2) being in contact with others and communicating with them about (alcohol) problems; and (3) personalized feedback about drinking behavior. Two of these elements were also used in the interventions especially designed for older adults. Being in contact with others and communicating with them about (alcohol) problems is an important element to pay attention to for developers of alcohol interventions for older adults because loneliness is a problem for this age group and there is a relationship between the use of alcohol and loneliness.
Highlights
The World Health Organization has identified alcohol-related harm among older adults as an increasing concern [1]
We found information on the functioning of alcohol interventions for the general population
We only found three studies on the prevention or reduction of alcohol consumption that were designed for older adults
Summary
The World Health Organization has identified alcohol-related harm among older adults as an increasing concern [1]. Alcohol use among older people has increased in several countries, including Spain, the United States, and The Netherlands [4–6] One reason for this is that older adults experience more freedom; that is, they have more time for leisure activities, such as attending social gatherings and participating in clubs, many of which routinely involve alcohol consumption [7,8]. Another reason is that some people use alcohol as a coping strategy to overcome negative changes in physical health and mental health that come with ageing [9–11], including increased loneliness and social isolation [12], unemployment and economic downturns [13].
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