title: Pain and alcohol consumption among older adults: findings from the World Health Organization Study on global AGEing and adult health, Wave 1.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate cross-sectional associations between self-reported recent pain and alcohol use/abstinence, and previous-day pain and previous-week alcohol consumption in adults aged 50 + in six low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
  
  
  METHODS
  The WHO Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) Wave 1 (2007-2010) in China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russia and South Africa is the data source. Prevalence of alcohol use/abstinence is reported by previous-day and previous-month pain. Multinomial logistic regressions (crude and adjusted for sex and country) tested associations between recent pain and alcohol use in the pooled multicountry sample.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Across the six SAGE countries, about one-third of respondents reported alcohol use, being highest in Russia (74%) and lowest in India (16%). Holding the effects of sex and country constant, compared with abstainers, people with previous-day pain were more likely to be previous-day or other users. With regard to the quantity and frequency of alcohol use, people with previous-day pain were more likely to be non-heavy drinkers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, we found that, in this population of older adults in six LMICs, recent pain was associated with moderate use of alcohol, although there were differences between countries. The findings provide a platform for country-specific research to better understand bi-directional associations between pain and alcohol in older adults.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Alebtekin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahangari
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. Jennifer.Stewart.Williams@umu.se.|Research Centre for Generational, Health and Ageing, School of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia. Jennifer.Stewart.Williams@umu.se.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stewart Williams
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Myléus
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology*; D059408:Pain Management / Q000379:methods*; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014944:World Health Organization
keywords: ageing; aging; chronic; chronique; crónico; developing countries; disability; discapacidad; envejecimiento; invalidité; low- and middle-income countries; pays en voie de développement; pays à revenus faibles et moyens; países con ingresos medios y bajos; países en vías de desarrollo; vieillissement