SynthesisPloS one2018
Alcohol and older people: A systematic review of barriers, facilitators and context of drinking in older people and implications for intervention design.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 42 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
42 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 111 citations in OpenAlex.
- Prevalence and factors associated with loneliness among older adults in Africa: systematic review and meta-analysis.Systematic reviews · 2026Pooled it
- Effectiveness and treatment moderators of internet interventions for adult problem drinking: An individual patient data meta-analysis of 19 randomised controlled trials.PLoS medicine · 2018Pooled it
- Associations of Social Engagement and Perceived Interpersonal Connectedness With Cognitive, Mental, and Physical Health in American Indian and Alaska Native Adults.Journal of aging and health · 2026Article
- Representation of Substance Use Issues in Old Age Within Norwegian Policy Frameworks.Nordisk alkohol- & narkotikatidskrift : NAT · 2026Article
- Article
- Features of Alcohol Harm Reduction Campaigns That Resonate With Older Adults: Insights From an Australian Qualitative Study Using Prompt Videos.Drug and alcohol review · 2026Article
- A Daily Diary Study of Positive Experiences and Alcohol Use Among Non-Abstaining Adults Aged 50+ Years.Journal of aging and health · 2026Article
- Sex differences in alcohol use and perceptions of cognitive health in rural Uganda.BMC geriatrics · 2026Article
- Bidirectional relationships between pain and alcohol use among older adults: a scoping review.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2026Article
- Epidemiology of alcohol use in Sri Lanka: Findings of the SLHAS national survey.Global epidemiology · 2025Article
- Dementia prevention requires moving beyond individual choice: the costs of effort and time intersect with social determinants of health.Neuroscience · 2025Review
- Trends and cross-country inequalities of alcohol use disorders: findings from the global burden of disease study 2021.Globalization and health · 2025Article
- The epidemiology of alcohol involved facial injuries.Oral and maxillofacial surgery · 2025Article
- A Narrative Review of Alcohol Prevention Interventions Among Older Adults.Alcohol research : current reviews · 2025Review
- Random forest-based identification and ranking of predictive factors for physical activity in Chinese college students.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Learn@Lunch: Developing a continuing professional development programme to raise knowledge and awareness of drinking alcohol as an occupation in later life.The British journal of occupational therapy · 2025Article
- Perceived Risk of Binge Drinking among Older Alcohol Users: Associations with Alcohol Use Frequency, Binge Drinking, Alcohol Use Disorder, and Alcohol Treatment Use.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Article
- Exploring the Sociodemographic Factors and Consequences related to Alcohol Consumption among Older Indigenous Community of a District in Nepal: A Qualitative Study.JNMA; journal of the Nepal Medical Association · 2024Article
- Proportion of At-Risk Alcohol Consumers According to the New French Guidelines: Cross-Sectional Weighted Analyses From the CONSTANCES Cohort.International journal of public health · 2024Article
- 'Ageing with an alcohol problem is not what I envision': reclaiming agency in shaping personal ageing trajectory and recovery from alcohol problems.BMC geriatrics · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundHarmful alcohol consumption in older people has increased and effective approaches to understanding and addressing this societal concern are needed.
methodsSystematic review of qualitative studies in older populations (55+ years) to identify barriers, facilitators or context of drinking in older people. Multiple databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, CENTRAL, Social Sciences Citation Index, York Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, Cochrane database and grey literature) were searched from 2000 to February 2017 for studies in English, from OECD countries using MeSH terms and text words relating to alcohol combined with older age terms. Study quality was assessed using NICE methodology. The review is reported according to PRISMA.
resultsDrinking in older people is strongly linked to social engagement and there is scepticism about the health risks of alcohol. Drinking was also linked to difficulties such as social isolation, illness or bereavement. Alcohol can be related to routines and identity. However, older people often regulate their own drinking and strategies that emphasise the life experience of older people to drink wisely could be helpful.
conclusionsTo be effective societal approaches need to take into account contexts of risks for harmful drinking. The evidence supports a strong social role for drinking alcohol which should be taken into account in any policy development with the potential benefits of social participation for cognitive health. Approaches to reducing alcohol use in older people need to avoid paradoxical harm, with a need for approaches that reduce harm from drinking alcohol but retain the benefit of socialising.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.