Exploring perceptions for the consequence of alcohol use in later life
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring older adults' and health and social care workers' perceptions of the positive and negative consequences for alcohol consumption in old age
IRAS ID
209426
Contact name
Bethany K Bareham
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Newcastle University
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Alcohol plays a number of roles in older peoples’ lives and is therefore often important to them. Alcohol use is also associated with a number of positive and negative health consequences. It is important to explore how older people and associated health and social care workers think about alcohol use in later life, what is considered and what is prioritised in what context. Older people may also find it difficult to talk about their alcohol use with health and social care workers and it is important to find out about this. This study aims to answer these questions. The findings may help advise practitioners and policy makers on what older people consider when drinking, what associated health and social care workers think about older people drinking and how it might be difficult to talk about alcohol with older people. Interviews and focus groups will be conducted with older people and associated health and social care workers. These will take place within the participating general practices, within the Institute of Health and Society at Newcastle University, in participant homes, public places or over the phone. Interviews and focus groups will last approximately 1-2 hours each. Older people who drink alcohol but are not dependent drinkers will be recruited through participating general practices, flyers in areas that may be visited by older people, and presentations to recreational groups for older people. Health and social care workers will be recruited through contacts and asked to pass on details of the study to others. Interviews and focus groups will explore the questions posed within this study. These will be transcribed and analysed to look for themes that help answer the questions. This project is funded by the School of Primary Care Research as part of a doctoral fellowship.
REC name
East Midlands - Nottingham 1 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/EM/0435
Date of REC Opinion
1 Nov 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion