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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2011 Jan;106(1):111-20.
doi: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2010.03229.x.

Primary care-based intervention to reduce at-risk drinking in older adults: a randomized controlled trial

Alison A Moore  1 , Fred C Blow, Marc Hoffing, Sandra Welgreen, James W Davis, James C Lin, Karina D Ramirez, Diana H Liao, Lingqi Tang, Robert Gould, Monica Gill, Oriana Chen, Kristen L Barry
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Primary care-based intervention to reduce at-risk drinking in older adults: a randomized controlled trial

Alison A Moore et al. Addiction. 2011 Jan.

Abstract

Aims: To examine whether a multi-faceted intervention among older at-risk drinking primary care patients reduced at-risk drinking and alcohol consumption at 3 and 12 months.

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Three primary care sites in southern California.

Participants: Six hundred and thirty-one adults aged ≥ 55 years who were at-risk drinkers identified by the Comorbidity Alcohol Risk Evaluation Tool (CARET) were assigned randomly between October 2004 and April 2007 during an office visit to receive a booklet on healthy behaviors or an intervention including a personalized report, booklet on alcohol and aging, drinking diary, advice from the primary care provider and telephone counseling from a health educator at 2, 4 and 8 weeks.

Measurements: The primary outcome was the proportion of participants meeting at-risk criteria, and secondary outcomes were number of drinks in past 7 days, heavy drinking (four or more drinks in a day) in the past 7 days and risk score.

Findings: At 3 months, relative to controls, fewer intervention group participants were at-risk drinkers [odds ratio (OR) 0.41; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.22-0.75]; they reported drinking fewer drinks in the past 7 days [rate ratio (RR) 0.79; 95% CI 0.70-0.90], less heavy drinking (OR 0.46; 95% CI 0.22-0.99) and had lower risk scores (RR 0.77 95% CI 0.63-0.94). At 12 months, only the difference in number of drinks remained statistically significant (RR 0.87; 95% CI 0.76-0.99).

Conclusions: A multi-faceted intervention among older at-risk drinkers in primary care does not reduce the proportions of at-risk or heavy drinkers, but does reduce amount of drinking at 12 months.

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Conflict of interest statement

Authors report no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow of individuals in the HLAYA Trial.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Percent of at-risk drinkers. Error bars indicate 95% confidence intervals.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Mean number of drinks in the past 7 days. Error bars indicate standard deviations.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Prevalence of heavy drinking episodes in the past 7 days. Error bars indicate 95% confidence intervals.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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