title: Alcohol in the second half of life: do usual quantity and frequency of drinking to intoxication increase with increased drinking frequency?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated if increased drinking frequency among adults in the second half of life co-occurred with increased usual quantity and increased intoxication frequency.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two-wave panel study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Norway.
  
  
  METHODS
  Norwegian adults (1017 women and 959 men) aged 40-79 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Drinking frequency, usual quantity and intoxication frequency was measured by self-report in 2002/03 and again in 2007/08. Information about gender, age and level of education was obtained from the public register. Health was collected by self-report.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Because of a significant gender × change in drinking frequency interaction effect on change in intoxication frequency (b = 0.02, P = 0.013), women and men were analysed separately. After adjusting for covariates, women who increase their drinking frequency showed a non-significant decrease in usual quantity [low initial usual quantity (LIUQ): β = -0.01, P = 0.879; high initial usual quantity (HIUQ): β = -0.06, P = 0.164] and a non-significant increase in intoxication frequency (LIUQ: β = 0.04, P = 0.569; HIUQ: β = 0.09, P = 0.251). Men who increased their drinking frequency showed a small decrease in usual quantity (LIUQ: β = -0.06, P = 0.049; HIUQ: β = -0.05, P = 0.002) and a small increase in intoxication frequency (LIUQ: β = 0.05, P = 0.035; HIUQ: β = 0.13, P = 0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among Norwegian adults in the second half of life, increased drinking frequency appears to be associated with a small reduction in usual quantity, and a small increase in frequency of drinking to intoxication.
authors.affiliation: Norwegian Institute for Alcohol and Drug Research (SIRUS), Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Geir Scott
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Brunborg
authors.forename: Ståle
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Østhus
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Alcohol; Norway; consumption; drinking frequency; intoxication frequency; longitudinal; quantity