Covariation of daily stressors and alcohol use among adults aged 50+ years: Differences across stressor characteristics and individual factors

Background Several theoretical frameworks suggest connections between stress and alcohol use. However, limited existing literature has focused on older adults, and associations may vary across stressor and individual characteristics. Purpose The current study extends the stress-drinking literature by assessing the same-day covariation of daily stressors and alcohol use among a national sample of adults aged 50+ years. Methods Participants (N=1,035; M_age=61.62 years; range=50-83) were non-abstaining adults who participated in an 8-day daily diary project in the National Study of Daily Experiences. Results Multilevel logistic regression analyses revealed no main effects of stressor exposure (OR=1.07; 95% CI: 0.93, 1.24), stressor quantity (OR=1.09; 95% CI: 0.98, 1.20), or stressor severity (OR=1.06; 95% CI: 0.99, 1.14) on likelihood of same-day alcohol consumption. There were differences by stressor domain. Days with non-work stressors were associated with a 13% greater likelihood of alcohol use compared to days without non-work stressors (OR=1.13; 95% CI=1.004, 1.27). In contrast, likelihood of alcohol consumption did not differ between days with work stressors compared to days without work stressors (OR=0.90; 95% CI=0.71, 1.13). Several between-person factors were found to moderate associations between daily stressors and alcohol use. Specifically, older age, lower educational attainment, and reporting alcohol-related problems strengthened associations between some daily stressor characteristics and likelihood of same-day alcohol use. Conclusions Study findings suggest individual differences in middle-aged and older adults' drinking on days with daily stressors. Results may inform efforts to provide personalized alcohol use education and intervention to adults aged 50+ years.