Alcohol consumption among elderly persons in Jamaica: prevalence and associated factors.

To assess the prevalence of, and factors associated with, alcohol consumption among elderly persons in Jamaica. This was a secondary data analysis of national cross-sectional survey data. Pearson's Chi-Square was used to examine the association between alcohol consumption and sociodemographic characteristics. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with alcohol consumption. Of the 4,623 participants, 316 (6.8%) were elderly. Prevalence of lifetime alcohol drinking was high in the elderly (74.4%). Past-year drinking was significantly associated with gender (p <.001), marital status (p <.01) and religion (p <.01), while past-month drinking was significantly associated with religious affiliation (p <.01). In the multivariable logit models, the odds of past-year drinking among males was 4.34 times as high as among females (AOR: 4.34, 95% CI = 2.17–8.69). Currently married elderly persons had 62% decreased odds of drinking alcohol in the past year (AOR: 0.38, 95%CI = 0.17–0.86). Findings suggest that elderly persons have a high prevalence of alcohol consumption, and as such, policymakers and program planners need to pay more attention to alcohol drinking in the elderly population. Spouses of elderly persons who drink should also be included in alcohol reduction programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]