Objectives: To examine associations between drinking patterns, medical conditions, and behavioral health risks among older adults.
Methods: Analyses compared survey participants (health plan members ages 65 to 90, N = 6662) who drank moderately to those who drank over recommended limits or did not drink.
Results: Overlimit drinking was associated with smoking; not trying to eat low-fat foods (in men), and lower BMI (in women). Predictors of not drinking during the prior 12 months included ethnicity, lower education, worse self-reported health, diabetes and heart problems.
Conclusions: Significant relationships exist between health and alcohol consumption patterns, which vary by gender.