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Alcohol Use Among Older Persons in a Rural State

Received October 31, 2000; revised March 14, 2001; accepted April 16, 2001. From the Dept of Psychiatry, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa (SKS,SA,CT), the Dept of Biostatistics, University of Iowa College of Public Health, Iowa City, Iowa (SA), the Iowa Consortium for Substance Abuse Research & Evaluation, University of Iowa (SKS,SA,AP), the Center for Social and Behavioral Research, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa (GML), and the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminology, Univ. of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls (GML). Address correspondence to Dr. Schultz, 1-189A Medical Education Building; University of Iowa College of Medicine; Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1000. e-mail: susan-schultz{at}uiowa.edu

OBJECTIVE: Older individuals are vulnerable to adverse consequences from alcoholism; unfortunately, alcohol-related problems are often under-identified in this group. METHODS: We characterized the demographic features of alcohol use among older adults (over age 65) in a statewide community survey. RESULTS: Approximately 15% were at risk for alcoholism. As a group, the at-risk individuals were younger than the remaining sample. Twenty percent indicated that they had previously tried unsuccessfully to stop drinking, but only 10% had received any type of treatment. CONCLUSION: This low rate of treatment intervention implies a need for enhanced recognition of alcoholism among older adults in rural settings.

Key Words: Alcohol • Delivery of Care • Demographic Factors

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