%0 Journal Article %J Addict Behav %D 2015 %T Substance-use coping and self-rated health among US middle-aged and older adults. %A Pia M Mauro %A Sarah L. Canham %A Silvia S Martins %A Adam P Spira %K Adaptation, Psychological %K Aged %K Aged, 80 and over %K Alcohol Drinking %K depression %K Female %K Health Status %K Humans %K Male %K Middle Aged %K Smoking %K Substance-Related Disorders %K United States %X

The prevalence of alcohol, drug, and tobacco use among US middle-aged and older adults is increasing. A subset of this population uses substances to cope with stress, but the characteristics of these individuals, and the association between substance-use coping and health outcomes remain unclear. We identified correlates of substance-use coping and measured its association with self-rated health in a community-based sample of adults aged 54-99 in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). In the 2008 HRS, 1351 participants reported their frequency of prescription/other drug-, alcohol-, and cigarette-use coping with stress and reported self-rated health (excellent/very good, good, or fair/poor); 1201 of these participants also reported self-rated health in 2010. One in six participants frequently used substances to cope. The oldest participants were least likely to engage in frequent alcohol-use coping. Those with elevated depressive symptoms were more likely to frequently engage in cigarette- and prescription/other drug-use coping. In multivariable-adjusted analyses, participants who frequently used cigarettes (compared to participants who infrequently used cigarettes) to cope had 2.7 times (95% CI=1.1-6.7) the odds of poor (vs. excellent) self-rated health. Relative to participants who infrequently used prescription/other drugs to cope, participants who frequently used prescription/other drugs to cope had 2.4 times (95% CI=1.1-5.1) the odds of reporting poor self-rated health. The association between prescription/other drug-use coping in 2008 and self-rated health in 2010 was statistically significant (relative OR=3.5, 95% CI=1.7-7.2). Participants engaging in substance-use coping likely have particular demographic and clinical characteristics. Interventions to reduce substance-use coping may prevent adverse health outcomes.

%B Addict Behav %I 42 %V 42 %P 96-100 %8 2015 Mar %G eng %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25437264?dopt=Abstract %2 PMC4596550 %4 Coping/Older adults/Self-rated health/Substance use/Alcohol use/Drug Use/Smoking/stress/health outcomes %$ 999999 %R 10.1016/j.addbeh.2014.10.031