The European Journal of Public Health Advance Access published online on June 26, 2009
The European Journal of Public Health, doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckp079
© Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association 2009.
Changes in alcohol consumption and drinking patterns during 11 years of follow-up among ageing men: the FinDrink study
Jenni Ilomäki1, Maarit Jaana Korhonen1, Piia Lavikainen2, Robert Lipton3, Hannes Enlund4,5 and Jussi Kauhanen1,6
1 School of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland
2 Kuopio Research Centre of Geriatric Care, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland
3 Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA, USA
4 Department of Social Pharmacy, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland
5 Department of Pharmacy Practice, Kuwait University, Kuwait
6 Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, Prevention Research Center, Berkeley CA, USA
Correspondence:Jenni Ilomäki, University of Kuopio, School of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, PO Box 1627, 70211 Kuopio, Finland, tel: +358 40 3553735, fax: +358 17 162936, e-mail: jenni.ilomaki{at}uku.fi
Received April 6, 2009 , accepted May 22, 2009
Background: Alcohol consumption is often reported to decrease with ageing. We investigated alcohol consumption and drinking patterns in an ageing population-based male sample during an 11-year follow-up period. Methods: This study with baseline and two follow-up examinations (at 4 and 11 years) included 1516 randomly selected participants, aged 42, 48, 54 and 60 years from Eastern Finland. Alcohol consumption and drinking patterns during the year preceding the examination were assessed. Data were analysed using Generalized Estimating Equations and Mixed Models. Results: Over the 11-year study period, the amount of alcohol consumed weekly increased among the 42-year-olds (P < 0.001) and remained constant among the older cohorts. The risk of frequent drinking (alcohol consumption at least twice weekly) increased among all cohorts (OR = 2.04, 95% CI = 1.50–2.79 for 42-year-olds; OR = 1.71, 95% CI = 1.13–2.58 for 48-year-olds; OR = 1.67, 95% CI = 1.16–2.39 for 54-year-olds and OR = 1.67, 95% CI = 1.21–2.29 for 60-year-olds). There was also an increasing probability of heavy consumption (more than 14 weekly drinks) among the 42-year-olds (OR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.09–2.00). The risk of binging (six-plus drinks at one occasion) decreased among the older participants (OR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.47–0.89 for 54-year-olds, and OR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.39–0.81 for 60-year-olds). Conclusion: Finnish men born in 1926–1946 do not seem to decrease drinking while ageing. In contrast those born in 1944–1946 increase drinking until their 60’s. This should be taken into consideration in planning health services for aged men in the near future.
Keywords: ageing, alcohol consumption, drinking behaviour, Findrink study, longitudinal study, population study.