Alcohol consumption patterns of older adults: A study in a regional town in Western Australia

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to demonstrate that opportunistic health screening at health expos can provide an overall impression of alcohol consumption patterns.

Design: A repeated cross-sectional survey design, completed over a four-year period (2011–2014), was used to assess the risk of harmful alcohol consumption, within a community setting of older adults, in the South West region of Western Australia.

Methods: An alcohol screening survey (AUDIT) was used to collect data on alcohol consumption patterns on those aged 65 years and over. A total of 411 surveys were completed.

Results: There was a statistically significant difference in mean risk scores across the four years (p < .001). 6.3–22.2% of survey completers presented as ‘risky’, and a further 3.8–12.3% as ‘high risk’ in terms of alcohol consumption.

Conclusions: Opportunistic screening for alcohol consumption during health expos can aid the identification of at-risk individuals who may require further education or treatment.

RAS ID

26111

Document Type

Journal Article

Date of Publication

2017

School

School of Nursing and Midwifery / Edith Cowan College

Copyright

subscription content

Publisher

Routledge

Comments

Vafeas, C., Graham, R., De Jong, G., Sharp, J., Ngune, I., & Mayes, S. (2017). Alcohol consumption patterns of older adults: A study in a regional town in Western Australia. Contemporary Nurse, 53(6), 647-657. https://doi.org/10.1080/10376178.2017.1421051

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Link to publisher version (DOI)

10.1080/10376178.2017.1421051