Factors associated with alcohol consumption and prescribed drugs with addiction potential among older women and men – the Nord-Trøndelag health study (HUNT2 and HUNT3), Norway, a population-based longitudinal study

Table 3 Use of alcohol and prescribed drugs in HUNT2 (1995–1997) and HUNT3 (2006–2008)

		Prevalence of frequent drinking (alcohol consumption ≥ 4 days/week) among participants in HUNT2 and who participated in HUNT3 11 years later
		HUNT2	HUNT3
Total (n = 7955)	N (%)	83 (1.0)	297 (3.7)^c***
Gender
Women (n = 3876)	N (%)	14 (0.4)	106 (2.7)^c***
Men (n = 4079)	N (%)	69 (1.7)	191 (4.7)^c***
Age group in HUNT2:
53–59 years (n = 3462)	N (%)	30 (0.9)	150 (4.3)^c***
60–64 years (n = 2020)	N (%)	20 (1.0)	71 (3.5)^c**
≥ 65 years (n = 2473)	N (%)	33 (1.3)	76 (3.1)^c**
		Prevalence of use of prescribed drugs among participants in HUNT2^a and who participated in HUNT3 11 years later^b
		HUNT2	HUNT3
Total (n = 8691)	N (%)	858 (9.9)	2354 (27.1)^c***
Gender
Female (n = 4714)	N (%)	621 (13.2)	1681 (35.7)^c***
Male (n = 3977)	N (%)	237 (6.0)	673 (16.9)^c***
Age group in HUNT2
53–59 years (n = 3481)	N (%)	265 (7.6)	693 (19.9)^c***
60–64 years (n = 2196)	N (%)	207 (9.4)	573 (26.1)^c***
≥ 65 years (n = 3014)	N (%)	386 (12.8)	1088 (36.1)^c***

^aInformation about prescribed drugs in HUNT2: Self-reported use of anxiolytic or sleep medication every week or more in the last month
^bInformation about prescribed drugs in HUNT3: Addictive psychotropic drugs drawn from the Norwegian Prescription Database were defined as at least one prescription of benzodiazepines or z-hypnotics in two consecutive years (2005/2006, 2006/2007, 2007/2008 or 2008/2009). Benzodiazepines defined by N03AE, N05BA and N05CD. Z-hypnotics defined by N05CF
^cSignificance testing with McNemar’s Exact Test
^***P < 0.001

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