Factors Influencing Drinking among Middle-Aged People

Abstract

Background: Middle age is a period of change, and many people consume alcohol to relieve the
stress associated with this transition. The present study aims to investigate factors that influence
drinking among middle-aged people.
Methods: This is a secondary analysis of data on social problems and cohesion that the Korea
Institute for Health and Social Affairs. Collecting data from 1,260 middle-aged people between
40 and 64 years of age, the study measured resilience, stress, and drinking. Descriptive statistics,
t-tests, analysis of variance, Pearson’s correlation, and multiple regression analysis were performed.
Conclusion: Multiple regression analysis that investigated factors that influenced drinking had
an explanatory power of 27.4%. The analysis also revealed that the following factors had effects
on drinking among middle-aged people: gender, followed by smoking, marital status, difficulties
in daily life due to health problems, employment status, and past experiences of violence. It is
necessary to develop and implement strategies that mitigate high-risk drinking based on the factors
that our study reveals. This would serve to promote a healthy lifestyle among the middle-aged
while also preventing the progression to high-risk drinking.