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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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Alcohol and drug use by older women
— results of a national survey | | Author(s) | Kathryn Graham, Virginia Carver, Pamela J Brett |
| Journal title | Canadian Journal on Aging, vol 14, no 4, Winter 1995 |
| Pages | pp 769-791 |
| Keywords | Older women ; Social characteristics [elderly] ; Alcoholic beverages ; Drugs ; Tobacco smoking ; Social surveys ; Canada. |
| Annotation | Patterns and predictors of substance use by women aged 65 and over were examined using data from the Canadian National Alcohol and Other Drugs Survey (1989). Use patterns were consistent with findings from previous surveys: older women drink less alcohol, smoke less, use less illegal drugs than other age-gender groups, but they have the highest rate of psychoactive prescription drug use of all groups. Bivariate analyses indicated significant relationships between some social and demographic variables and substance use. Drinking was associated with being single, younger, not religious, in better health, and smoking. Smoking was associated with being younger, not religious, in poorer health, having less social support, drinking, and use of psychoactive prescription drugs. Use of psychoactive prescription drugs (especially sleeping pills) tended to be associated with being widowed, older, less educated, more religious, in poorer health, experiencing higher stress, having lower income and less social support, smoking, and use of other psychoactive prescription drugs. Findings are discussed in terms of projected use patterns for future older women, and the need for a better understanding of the social context of older women's substance use that involves light to moderate alcohol use, but a higher rate of psychoactive prescription drug use than any other age-gender groups. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-970821280 A |
| Classmark | BD: F: YPP: LLD: ETT: 3F: 7S |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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