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Alcohol use among older persons in a rural state
Susan K Schultz1, Stephan Arndt, Gene M Lutz
1Dept of Psychiatry, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City 52242, USA. susan-schultz@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.