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Alcohol, Tobacco, and Nonmedical Drug Use in Older U.S. Adults: Data from the 2001/02 National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions
Author(s) -
Moore Alison A.,
Karno Mitchell P.,
Grella Christine E.,
Lin James C.,
Warda Umme,
Liao Diana H.,
Hu Peifeng
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2009.02554.x
Subject(s) - medicine , substance use , alcohol , cross sectional study , population , epidemiology , drug , tobacco use , young adult , national health interview survey , public health , gerontology , environmental health , demography , psychiatry , biochemistry , chemistry , nursing , pathology , sociology
OBJECTIVES: To examine the prevalence and sociodemographic and health‐related correlates of substance use, including alcohol, tobacco, and nonmedical drug use, in adults aged 65 and older. DESIGN: Cross‐sectional, retrospective survey of a population‐based sample, the 2001/02 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. SETTING: United States. PARTICIPANTS: Eight thousand two hundred five U.S. adults aged 65 and older. MEASUREMENTS: Prevalence of lifetime and previous‐12‐month alcohol, tobacco, and nonmedical drug use and associations between substance use and sociodemographic and health‐related factors. RESULTS: Almost 80% of older adults had used any of the three substances over their lifetimes, and more than 50% reported such use over the previous 12 months. Alcohol was the most commonly used substance over the lifetime (74%) and in the previous 12 months (45%), followed by tobacco (52% lifetime; 14% previous 12 months); far fewer reported nonmedical use of drugs (5% lifetime; 1% previous 12 months). In general, being younger, male, and divorced or separated were factors consistently associated with use of any of the three substances. CONCLUSION: Most older adults had used substances over their lifetimes and in the previous 12 months. Alcohol is the substance of choice for this age group, followed by tobacco; few report nonmedical drug use.