TY - JOUR
T1 - Alcohol consumption among older adults in the United States amidst the COVID-19 pandemic
T2 - an analysis of the 2017–2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
AU - Haight, Macy
AU - Smith, Parker
AU - Bray, Natasha
AU - Nolan, Douglas
AU - Hartwell, Micah
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 the author(s), published by De Gruyter.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Context: Alcohol consumption is responsible for numerous life-threatening diseases, including liver cirrhosis, heart disease, and various cancers. During the pandemic, alcohol-related deaths increased from 2019 to 2021, topping out at approximately 108,000 deaths related to alcohol. This trend also introduced the question whether heavy alcohol consumption and binge drinking increased during the pandemic, particularly in those 65 and older. Objectives: The objective of this study is to determine whether heavy alcohol consumption and binge drinking increased during the pandemic in older adults in the United States. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to determine whether rates of overall alcohol consumption, heavy consumption, or binge drinking deviated from 2017 through 2021. We utilized chi-square tests to determine changes in rates over the included years. Results: Our findings show that the overall rate of alcohol use in populations 65 and older from 2017 through 2021 was approximately 42.1 %, which peaked in 2017 at 43.7 % and declined each year, resulting in the lowest rate (41.3 %) in 2021 (χ2=8.96, p<0.0001). Binge and heavy drinking rates were 5.1 % and 4.2 % overall during this time frame, respectively, and the annual changes were not statistically significant. Conclusions: The impact of COVID-19 on the drinking behavior of older US adults was minimal in terms of binge or heavy drinking, although the overall rates of alcohol consumption among this group declined. Reports among other US age groups showed increased consumption and deaths from alcohol use. Future research is needed to determine the causes for the overall decrease in consumption or adaptive measures that this group may have taken, which led to minimal changes in binge or heavy drinking in contrast to younger populations.
AB - Context: Alcohol consumption is responsible for numerous life-threatening diseases, including liver cirrhosis, heart disease, and various cancers. During the pandemic, alcohol-related deaths increased from 2019 to 2021, topping out at approximately 108,000 deaths related to alcohol. This trend also introduced the question whether heavy alcohol consumption and binge drinking increased during the pandemic, particularly in those 65 and older. Objectives: The objective of this study is to determine whether heavy alcohol consumption and binge drinking increased during the pandemic in older adults in the United States. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to determine whether rates of overall alcohol consumption, heavy consumption, or binge drinking deviated from 2017 through 2021. We utilized chi-square tests to determine changes in rates over the included years. Results: Our findings show that the overall rate of alcohol use in populations 65 and older from 2017 through 2021 was approximately 42.1 %, which peaked in 2017 at 43.7 % and declined each year, resulting in the lowest rate (41.3 %) in 2021 (χ2=8.96, p<0.0001). Binge and heavy drinking rates were 5.1 % and 4.2 % overall during this time frame, respectively, and the annual changes were not statistically significant. Conclusions: The impact of COVID-19 on the drinking behavior of older US adults was minimal in terms of binge or heavy drinking, although the overall rates of alcohol consumption among this group declined. Reports among other US age groups showed increased consumption and deaths from alcohol use. Future research is needed to determine the causes for the overall decrease in consumption or adaptive measures that this group may have taken, which led to minimal changes in binge or heavy drinking in contrast to younger populations.
KW - COVID-19 pandemic
KW - alcohol consumption
KW - older adults
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85200157224&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1515/jom-2024-0054
DO - 10.1515/jom-2024-0054
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85200157224
SN - 2702-3648
JO - Journal of Osteopathic Medicine
JF - Journal of Osteopathic Medicine
ER -