Trends in alcohol consumption among the elderly Finns

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Trends in alcohol consumption among the elderly
Finns Tommi Sulander Age Institute National
Public Health Institute Drinken förfriskning
eller risk? Ett tema-seminarium om alkoholbruk
bland den åldrande nordiska befolkningen.
Tema-möte, 20-21.11.2008, Stockholm
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Health behaviour and health among Finnish
elderly, 1985-2007
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Health behaviour and health among Finnish
Elderly 1985-2007

• National monitoring survey conducted every second
  year
• Information about state of health, functional
  ability, lifestyles and coping with everyday life
  demands among residents of Finland aged 65 to 84
  years
• Stratified random sample by 5-year age groups
• 1985-1989 65-79-year-olds
• 1993-2003 65-84-year-olds
• Sample size 1800 / 2400
• 1847 respondents in 2007
• Approx. 20 000 respondents (1985-2007)
• Average response rate 80 (1985-2007)

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Non-respondent rate 1993-2007 ()
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Abstinence among 65-84-year-old Finns 1993-2007
()
Age adjusted
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Use of alcohol at least once a week.
65-84-year-old Finns 1993-2007 ()
Age adjusted
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Use of alcohol at least once a week by age
groups 1985-2007 ()
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Frequency of alcohol use among 65-84-year-old
Finnsin 2007
Age adjusted
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Age adjusted proportions of those 6579-year-old
respondents who have drunk alcohol during the
last 12 months and who have drunk beer, wine and
strong alcohol during the last week in 1985-2007.
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Proportion of 65-84-year-old Finns who have drank
spirits, beer and wine during the last week,
1993-2007
Age adjusted
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At least 8 units of alcohol per week among men
and at least 5 units among women,
65-79-year-olds in 1985-2001 ()
Age adjusted
Ref Sulander et al. Preventive Medicine
200439413-418.
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At least 8 units of alcohol per week among men
and at least 5 units among women by age groups,
1985-2007 ()
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Mean alcohol units per week among 65-84-year-old
respondents, 1993-2005
Age adjusted
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Association of functional disabilities with use
of alcohol during the past week among
65-79-year-olds

• Adjusted for smoking, diet, physical activity,
  BMI,
• chronic diseases and sociodemographic factors

Ref. Sulander et al. Archives of Gerontology and
Geriatrics 200540185-99.
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Changes in habits due to health aspects during
the previous year, 65-84-year-olds in 2007
Age adjusted
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Suggestion made by health personnel to change
habits during the previous year, 65-84-year-olds
in 2007
Age adjusted
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Summary

• There has been a steady upward trend of alcohol
  consumption among the elderly Finns over the past
  two decades
• Abstinence has decreased over the years
• Regular use of alcohol has increased, especially
  among 65-79-year-old men and 65-74-year old women
• Most of the elderly Finns are still low or
  moderate alcohol users
• No changes in mean weekly alcohol consumption
• No information concerning non-respondents.
  Probably most of the problem drinkers are found
  among them