Smoking and alcohol consumption among the elderly: trends and associations, 1985–2001

doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2004.02.049

Preventive Medicine

Volume 39, Issue 2, August 2004, Pages 413-418

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2004.02.049 Get rights and content

Abstract

Background: Despite their clear association with health, smoking and alcohol consumption among elderly people have not been extensively researched. This study examined changes in smoking and alcohol consumption and their sociodemographic patterning among the Finnish population aged 65–79 years over the period 1985–2001.

Methods: Population-based monitoring surveys conducted biennially from 1985 to 2001 were pooled into three time periods. Trends in smoking and alcohol consumption and their sociodemographic variations among 5870 men and 5923 women were calculated. Logistic regression was used as the main method of analysis.

Results: Smoking declined slightly among men, and consumption of higher levels of alcohol rose in both genders from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s. Smoking among women remained at a very low level throughout the study period. Smoking and higher level of alcohol consumption were more prevalent among the younger elderly and among the men than among their counterparts. Higher alcohol use was more common among retired office workers than other former employees. Smoking was clearly more prevalent among unmarried than married people.

Conclusions: Declining numbers of male smokers and remarkably few female smokers, together with positive changes already noted in diet and functional ability, suggest healthier senior years ahead. On the other hand, the rising trend of alcohol use poses a challenge to future public health.

Introduction

Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption are important issues in public health. Smoking has a clear association with higher mortality rates from several diseases [1]; among other things, it is a strong predictor of coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality [2], [3]. On the other hand, moderate alcohol use has been suggested to be protective against CHD mortality [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], whereas excessive alcohol consumption has been associated with health hazards that include liver cirrhosis and various cancers [6], [9].

Among the Finnish elderly, smoking has decreased among men, and alcohol consumption has risen in both genders over recent years in certain geographically defined areas [10], [11]. Both smoking and alcohol consumption appear to decline with age among the elderly [12], [13]. Although smoking is more prevalent among those in disadvantaged social groups, its relation to socioeconomic background becomes more inconsistent with advancing age [14], [15].

Drinking among older people is more common among those in higher socioeconomic positions [13], [16]. Smoking has been found to be more prevalent among widow(er)s and divorcees than married persons [14], while divorced men and married women use more alcohol than their counterparts [14].

We set out to help remedy the shortage of information on trends in smoking and alcohol consumption among the elderly. This study focused on changes in smoking and alcohol consumption and their sociodemographic patterning among the Finnish population aged 65–79 years over the period 1985–2001.

Section snippets

Methods

Finland's National Public Health Institute (KTL) has been monitoring the health and health behavior of elderly Finns biennially since 1985 (except in 1991 when data were not collected) using mailed questionnaires. Each survey has involved stratified random samples of 300 men and women in consecutive 5-year age groups at the national level. The total number of 65- to 79-year-old respondents was 11,793 (5870 men and 5923 women). The response rate averaged 82%. Distribution of the study population

Results

Smoking was more prevalent among men than women and declined with age in both. Smoking slightly decreased among men over time but remained at remarkably low levels among women. Among men, former industrial employees and farmers were smokers slightly more often than office employees. Throughout the monitoring period, smoking among female farmers was rare. Smoking was clearly associated with being unmarried, especially among men (Table 2).

Numbers of higher level alcohol consumers increased in

Discussion

Daily smoking declined slightly among men and remained at remarkably low levels among women over the study period. Smoking was more prevalent among the younger elderly and among the men than among their counterparts, and clearly more so among unmarried than married individuals. Higher alcohol use increased in both genders from the mid-1980s to early 2000s but declined with age. More men than women were higher users. Moreover, higher alcohol use was more common among retired office workers than

Acknowledgements

This study was a grant funded by the Academy of Finland research programme on ageing and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.

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View full text

Smoking and alcohol consumption among the elderly: trends and associations, 1985–2001

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Methods

Results

Discussion

Acknowledgements

Prev. Med.

Lancet

Public Health

J. Clin. Epidemiol.

Addict. Behav.

Soc. Sci. Med.

Soc. Sci. Med.

Mortality from smoking in developed countries 1950–2000

Does the predictive value of baseline coronary risk factors change over a 30-year follow-up?

Cardiology

Alcohol drinking and mortality among men enrolled in an American Cancer Society prospective study

Epidemiology

Alcohol consumption and mortality among middle-aged and elderly U.S. adults

N. Engl. J. Med.

Moderate alcohol intake is associated with survival in the elderly: the Dubbo Study

Med. J. Aust.

Drink to your health?

Sci. Am.

Alcohol consumption and the risk of alcohol related cirrhosis in women

BMJ

Prevalence and change of cardiovascular risk factors among men born 1900–19: the Finnish cohorts of the Seven Countries Study

Age Ageing

Socio-economic status, health and life-style in two elderly cohorts in Jyväskylä

Scand. J. Soc. Med.

Alcohol intake in the healthy elderly. Changes with age in a cross-sectional and longitudinal study

J. Am. Geriatr. Soc.

Drinking habits among older persons: findings from the NHANES I Epidemiologic Followup Study (1982–84). National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

J. Am. Geriatr. Soc.

Health-related behaviour and attitudes of older people: a secondary analysis of national datasets