Prevalence of simultaneous use of alcohol and prescription medication in older adults: findings from a cross-sectional survey (Health Survey for England 2013)

Objectives To investigate the concurrent use of 'atrisk' (AR) drinking (>10 units of alcohol per week) and prescription medications, while controlling for sociodemographic, and health-related factors, among older adults (aged 65-89 years). Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting Data from Health Survey of England, 2013. Interventions None. Participants General population survey of 2169 adults aged 65-89 years. Primary outcome measures AR drinking (>10 units per week). Secondary outcome was AR drinking defined as >14 units of alcohol per week limit (the cut-off used by the Department of Health for AT drinking). Results Twenty-seven per cent (n=568) of the sample were AR drinkers. Factors associated with alcohol consumption were gender, age, social class, marital status, rurality of dwelling, deprivation index, self-reported general health, cigarette smoking, body mass index, exercise level, health and well-being scores' and number of prescription drugs. Logistic regression analysis showed that males were more likely to he AR drinkers (OR 3.44, 95% 012.59 to 4.57, p<0.0001) than females. Each year increase in age, lowered the probability of AR drinking by a factor of 0.95 (95% CI 0.93 to 0.98, p<0.0001). Using prescription drugs reduced AR drinking by a factor of 0.92 (95% CI 0.85 to 0.93, p=0.033), after controlling for age, sex and rurality of dwelling. No other predictors were significant. Similar results were obtained for AR drinking of >14units per week. Conclusion AR drinking is more likely in older men than women. The odds of AR drinking lessens, as individuals age, and using prescription drugs also reduces AR drinking.