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Alcohol use, depression, and life satisfaction among older persons in Jamaica

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 December 2016

Roger C. Gibson ,
Norman K. Waldron ,
Wendel D. Abel ,
Denise Eldemire-Shearer ,
Kenneth James  and
Kathryn Mitchell-Fearon
Roger C. Gibson*
Affiliation:
Department of Community Health and Psychiatry, The University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica
Norman K. Waldron
Affiliation:
Mona Ageing and Wellness Centre, The University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica
Wendel D. Abel
Affiliation:
Department of Community Health and Psychiatry, The University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica
Denise Eldemire-Shearer
Affiliation:
Mona Ageing and Wellness Centre, The University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica
Kenneth James
Affiliation:
Department of Community Health and Psychiatry, The University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica
Kathryn Mitchell-Fearon
Affiliation:
Department of Community Health and Psychiatry, The University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Roger C. Gibson, Department of Community Health and Psychiatry, The University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica. Phone: +876-927-2492; Fax: +876-927-2116. Email: [email protected].
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Abstract

Background:

We aimed to determine the prevalence of alcohol use among older Jamaicans as well as to explore among this population the relationships between alcohol use and: age, sex, depressive symptoms, and life satisfaction. Although the nature of these relationships among the proposed study population were uncertain, in other settings alcohol use has tended to decline with increasing age, occur more commonly among men than women, and show non-linear relationships with depressive symptoms and life satisfaction.

Methods:

Data gathered by two-stage cluster sampling for a nationally representative health and lifestyle survey of 2,943 community-dwelling older Jamaicans, aged 60 to 103 years, were subjected to secondary analysis using the Student's t-test and χ2 test as appropriate.

Results:

Current alcohol use was reported by 21.4% of the participants. It steadily declined with age and was six times more prevalent among men (37.6%) than women (6.2%). These findings were statistically significant as were associations of current alcohol use with comparatively lower levels of depressive symptoms. Current alcohol use was also more prevalent among persons who were either highly satisfied or highly dissatisfied with their lives, compared to others who had levels of life satisfaction between these two extremes.

Conclusions:

Current alcohol use among older Jamaicans occurs primarily among men, declines with increasing age, and is associated with a relatively low likelihood of depression. It is also associated with very high and very low levels of life satisfaction.

Keywords

alcoholdepressionlife satisfactionelderlyJamaica
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 29 , Issue 4 , April 2017 , pp. 663 - 671
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2016 

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