Browsing by Author "Chand, Sheenal Shivani"

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    Alcohol intake in community dwelling older adults living in Auckland, New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2021) Chand, Sheenal Shivani
    Background: The older adult population is growing rapidly worldwide including in New Zealand. As life expectancy increases, older adults need to be aware of the physiological changes to their bodies. International studies and the New Zealand (NZ) Health Survey have identified the high prevalence of alcohol consumption in older adults. However, there is limited evidence available regarding the types and frequency of alcohol consumption in older adults living in NZ. There is also little evidence on whether older adults are adhering to the alcohol consumption guidelines in NZ. This information is important to inform strategies to support older adults with safe drinking habits. Aim: To explore alcohol intake in older adults (65-74 years) living in the community in Auckland, New Zealand. Methods: This study was a sub-study of the REACH (Researching Eating, Activity and Cognitive Health) study. Older adults aged between 65 to 74 years living in the Auckland community completed a sociodemographic, health and lifestyle and a food frequency questionnaire, which included questions specific to alcohol intake. Results: Most older adults (81.4%) consumed alcohol, while 14.6% never drank alcohol and 4% used to drink alcohol. The most common types of alcoholic beverages consumed were beer (0.9 ± 2.1 standard drinks per week), red wine (1.7 ± 3.1 standard drinks per week) and white wine (1.8 ± 3.6 standard drinks per week). Males consumed more standard drinks per week (6.4 ± 7.4) than females (4.3 ± 5.6). Most older adults met the daily (98.9%), weekly (96.4%) and occasional (96.2%) drinking guidelines from the Ministry of Health. The recommendation of at least two alcohol free days per week was met by 83.8% of participants. The sociodemographic factors ‘sex’ (being male) was positively associated with maximum standard drinks per occasion. A higher ‘index of multiple deprivation score’ (IMD) (more deprived) was negatively associated with maximum standard drinks per occasion. ‘Age’, ‘education’ and ‘living situation’ were not associated with maximum standard drinks per occasion in older adults. Conclusion: Many older adults consume alcohol and are mostly following the NZ alcohol consumption guidelines. Beer and wine are the most commonly consumed alcoholic beverages. Maximum drinks per occasion is associated with sex and IMD score but not associated with age, education and living situation.