Geographic variations in alcohol consumption among racially/ethnically diverse older adults

This dissertation sought to examine the role of geographic location, geographic characteristics, and individual level race/ethnicity in alcohol consumption among older adults. Data were obtained from the 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and the 2010 US Census. Participants aged 60 and older who were not missing data on any of the main study variables were included (n=185, 190). Data was analyzed for a total of 2,229 counties. Racial/ethnic groups examined included American Indian/Alaska Natives, Asians/Pacific Islanders, Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites. Multilevel modeling was used for main analyses in order to account for the nested structure of the data. Individuals at level 1 were nested within counties at level 2 which were nested within regions at level 3. Alcoholic drinks consumed per month was used as the dependent variable. Significant within and between county variance was found in average alcoholic drinks consumed per month. There were significant main effects of race/ethnicity, county percentage of older adults, county percentage of racial/ethnic minorities, and county median income on average alcoholic drinks consumed per month. Significant interactions were found for individual level race/ethnicity and each of the aforementioned county level variables. These results indicate that geographic location and characteristics are significantly related to the alcohol consumption of older adults. Additionally, results suggest that the role of geographic characteristics in the alcohol consumption of older adults varies by individual level race/ethnicity. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries