Table 1.
Characteristics of U.S. Adults Aged 65 and Older, by Drinking Status, N = 36,136,889,* NHANES, 2005–2008
| Characteristic | All adults aged 65 and older N = 36,136,889 | Non-drinkers aged 65 and older N = 19,365,173† | Drinkers aged 65 and older N = 16,771,716‡ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent (No. in thousands) | Percent (No. in thousands) | Percent (No. in thousands) | |
| Sex | |||
| Women | 57.5 (20,791) | 65.0 (12,586) | 48.9 (8,206) |
| Men | 42.5 (15,345) | 35.0 (6,779) | 51.1 (8,566) |
| Race | |||
| White | 83.0 (29,982) | 77.9 (15,090) | 88.1 (14,892) |
| Black | 8.3 (2,991) | 11.1 (2,150) | 5.0 (840) |
| Hispanic | 5.8 (2,081) | 6.6 (1,284) | 4.8 (797) |
| Other | 3.0 (1,082) | 4.3 (841) | 1.4 (241) |
| Age, y | |||
| 65–69 | 29.9 (10,791) | 24.4 (4,726) | 36.2 (6,064) |
| 70–74 | 24.4 (8,801) | 22.5 (4,365) | 26.5 (4,436) |
| 75–79 | 19.8 (7,169) | 21.0 (4,076) | 18.4 (3,093) |
| ≥80 | 25.9 (9,376) | 32.0 (6,198) | 18.9 (3,177) |
| Heavy drinking | |||
| No | 93.3 (33,707) | N/A§ | 85.5 (14,341) |
| Yes | 6.7 (2,427) | 14.5 (2,427) | |
| Binge drinking | |||
| No | 94.5 (34,118) | N/A§ | 88.3 (14,753) |
| Yes | 5.4 (1,954) | 11.7 (1,954) | |
| Frequency of alcohol consumption in past 12 months | |||
| Never | 53.6 (19,365) | 100 (1,936) | 0 (0) |
| ≤1 time a month | 18.1(6,557) | 0 (0) | 39.1 (6,557) |
| 2–4 times a month | 8.3 (2,995) | 0 (0) | 17.9 (2,995) |
| 2–3 times a week | 7.5 (2,710) | 0 (0) | 16.2 (2,710) |
| 4–5 times a week | 4.2 (1,514) | 0 (0) | 9.0 (1,514) |
| Daily/almost daily | 8.3 (2,995) | 0 (0) | 17.9 (2,995) |
| Quantity consumed on the days they drank | |||
| ≤1 drink | 63.5 (10,644) | ||
| 2 drinks | 23.7 (3,980) | ||
| 3 drinks | N/A§ | N/A§ | 7.3 (1,218) |
| 4 drinks | 3.3 (560) | ||
| ≥5 drinks | 2.2 (369) | ||
| Education | |||
| < High school | 28.5 (10,268) | 37.5 (7,242) | 18.0 (3,025) |
| High school | 29.8 (10,738) | 31.0 (5,989) | 44.2 (4,749) |
| > High school | 41.7 (15,056) | 31.4 (6,059) | 53.6 (8,997) |
| Missing | 0.2 (75) | 0.4 (75) | 0 (0) |
| Household income | |||
| ≤$19,999 | 25.9 (8,692) | 34.6 (6,142) | 16.2 (2,550) |
| $20,000–$34,999 | 29.7 (9,936) | 31.2 (5,540) | 27.9 (4,396) |
| $35,000–$54,999 | 23.1 (7,725) | 18.7 (3,325) | 27.9 (4,400) |
| $55,000–$74,999 | 8.4 (2,818) | 6.7 (1,181) | 10.4 (1,638) |
| $75,000 and over | 12.9 (4,322) | 8.8 (1,555) | 17.6 (2,767) |
| Missing | 7.3 (2,643) | 8.4 (1,622) | 6.1 (1,020) |
| Health insurance coverage | |||
| No | 1.6 (582) | 1.8 (347) | 1.4 (235) |
| Yes | 98.4 (35,490) | 98.2 (18,974) | 98.6 (16,517) |
| Missing | 0.2 (65) | 0.2 (45) | 0.2 (20) |
| Type of health insurance | |||
| Private only | 7.5 (2,640) | 7.8 (1,481) | 7.0 (1,159) |
| Public§ only | 40.5 (14,330) | 43.7 (8,260) | 36.8 (6,070) |
| Both | 52.1 (18,433) | 48.5 (9,167) | 56.2 (9,265) |
| Missing | 0.2 (734) | 0.3 (456) | 0.1 (277) |
| No. of current prescription medications, mean (SD) | 4.14 (0.08) | 4.50 (0.10) | 3.72 (0.11) |
* Unweighted sample size of adults ≥ 65 years old, n = 2,593
† Unweighted sample size of adults ≥ 65 who did not report drinking, n = 1,510
‡ Unweighted sample size of adults ≥ 65 who reported drinking, n = 1,083
§ Public insurance defined as Medicare (HIQ031B), Medi-Gap (HIQ031C), Medicaid (HIQ031D), Military (HIQ031F), Indian Health Service (HIQ031G), state (HIQ031H), and other government-provided health insurance (HIQ031I)