Alcohol problems among older African-American women

Alcohol misuse is second only to prescription drug misuse among African-American older adults. Despite this reality, relatively few older African-American women are seen in centers for alcohol treatment. Increasing our knowledge of attitudes about alcohol held by older African-American women may assist in the development of mechanisms to decrease barriers to utilization of treatment services. The belief systems regarding alcohol were surveyed in a nonclinical sample of 184 older African-American women ages 55-89. The relationship between religion and religiosity and attitudes and behavior related to alcohol suggest that the church could be used as a vehicle for the dissemination of educational information about alcohol use and possible treatment options.