Kaplan MS, Huguet N, Feeny D, McFarland BH, Caetano R, Bernier J, Giesbrecht N, Oliver L, Ross N. Alcohol Use Patterns and Trajectories of Health-Related Quality of Life in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A 14-Year Population-Based Study. J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs,2012;73, 581–59l
Key results of paper: Key results of the study were that the majority of subjects remained in their respective alcohol categories for over 6 years (as seen in most studies). However, 31.4% of their subjects decreased their intake over the follow-up period. In the model using baseline consumption data, lifetime abstainers and former drinkers had lower quality of life (HUI3) scores at baseline (poorer quality of life) than did moderate drinkers. Lifetime abstainers, former drinkers, and infrequent drinkers experienced a greater decline in HUI3 compared with moderate drinkers.
In a separate model incorporating changes in drinking patterns that was limited to subjects consistently reporting good health, trajectories of the quality of life were similar for all groups. The persistent moderate drinkers had higher HUI3 scores at the start of their follow up, but alcohol patterns only affected baseline HUI3 scores and not the rates of change. As stated by the authors, “The findings suggest that alcohol-consumption patterns are associated with HRQL, but the rate of decline in HRQL is similar for all drinking patterns except for persons who decreased their consumption.” > > > > Read Full Critique
