Abstract
Background The majority of older adults take prescription or over-the-counter medications and about half consume alcohol regularly. Despite high risk for alcohol medication interactions (AMI), few community-level interventions exist to prevent AMI. The current study assessed the acceptability of educational materials created for use in a brief intervention to prevent AMI among older adults. Methods Older adults from two senior centers reviewed intervention materials (poster, patient and pharmacist brochures, and public service announcement) and participated in a pre and post-test to provide feedback and to assess changes in AMI-related awareness and intentions. Results Post-test data showed positive feedback and an increase in participant understanding of AMI prevention, with statistically significant changes in perceived importance of messaging surrounding risky alcohol use and potential consequences of AMI. Discussion The intervention materials were positively received, and participant feedback indicated that the collective presentation of all the materials was the most preferred tool for educating the community. With positive trends in awareness and knowledge, intervention effectiveness needs to be further evaluated in future large-scale studies. Lessons Learned This study provides health education specialists with tools to prevent alcohol and medication interactions among older adults.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 160-166 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Evaluation and Program Planning |
| Volume | 67 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Apr 2018 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health [grant number 1K01DA031764 ]. The National Institutes of Health had no further role in the study design, the collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data, in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to submit the paper for publication. Dr. Faika Zanjani is an Associate Professor in the Department of Gerontology at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Allied Health Professions. Her research focuses on adult development, health promotion, and preventing mental health and substance use problems in later life. Hannah Allen is a PhD Candidate and research assistant in the Department of Behavioral and Community Health at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. Her main interests include mental health and substance use in a developmental context. Dr. Nancy Schoenberg is the Associate Dean for Research in the College of Public Health at the University of Kentucky as well as a Marion Pearsall Professor in the Behavioral Science Department at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. Her research involves addressing health inequities, particularly among rural residents, using community-based participatory research strategies, intervention trials, and mixed method designs. Dr. Catherine Martin is the Director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. Her clinical interests include adult, child, and adolescent psychiatry, anxiety, depression, high-risk behaviors, and substance abuse. Dr. Richard Clayton is a Professor Emeritus in the Health, Behavior, and Society Department in the College of Public Health at the University of Kentucky. His work has focused mainly on tobacco control, drug abuse, and health disparities.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Elsevier Ltd
Keywords
- Alcohol and medication interactions
- Community intervention
- Older adults
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Business and International Management
- Social Psychology
- Geography, Planning and Development
- Strategy and Management
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
