Risky drinking in Florida's older population compared to the rest of the US

Introduction: Alcohol consumption increases risk of cancers of the head and neck, colorectum, pancreas, liver, and breast. Up to 44% of cancer cases have been attributed to excessive alcohol intake, depending on cancer site. However, state-specific evaluations of excessive alcohol consumption are limited. Methods: We compared risky drinking (defined as ≥ ten drinks/week in men and ≥ seven drinks/week in women; or ≥ five drinks at one sitting, ≥ once/year) in Florida to the rest of the US using pooled data from the 1997-2010 National Health Interview Survey. Results: The prevalence of risky drinking in Florida and the rest of the US was 31.9% and 37.4%, respectively. In multivariable analyses, risky drinking was significantly associated with younger age, lower BMI, male gender, non-Hispanic White race/ethnicity, more than a high school education, lack of health insurance, smoking, and physical activity. Floridians were less likely to report risky drinking compared to the rest of the US (Odds Ratio=0.75 95% Confidence Interval=0.66-0.84), but in analyses restricted to those aged ≥ 65, Floridians were more likely to report risky drinking than the rest of the US (1.12; 1.03-1.20). Discussion: Floridians overall were less likely to be risky drinkers than the rest of the US; however, almost a third of the population reported this behavior. As a key modifiable risk factor for cancer and other chronic conditions, a decrease in alcohol consumption has potential to reduce disease burden. A better understanding of the reasons for risky drinking in the older population, in particular, is warranted.