| dc.description.abstract | When considering alcohol use in New Zealand,
the focus is often on ‘binge drinking cultures’ of
younger generations. However, this paper, based on
a literature review, will illustrate the need to better
understand alcohol use among older Māori people
in New Zealand. There are a number of reasons
for this. First, with the phenomenon of an ageing
population older people will make up a significant
proportion of the total population in the future and
Statistics New Zealand (2006) predicts there will
be a significant increase in the number of older
Māori people in particular. Second, there is a wide
range of health outcomes associated with alcohol
use, both positive and negative which emphasize
the need to better understand how alcohol may
influence older people’s health and wellbeing.
Third, research suggests that among older people
in general, there are high rates of problematic
alcohol use and it has been argued that these rates
may be higher because, in many cases, problem
drinking is not identified among older people.
Specifically, research conducted in New Zealand
indicates that a) alcohol use among older people
is becoming an increasing area of concern and b)
Māori people in particular are more likely to be
engaging in hazardous alcohol use. However, very
little research has been done to better understand
alcohol use among older people and, in particular,
alcohol use among older Māori. These factors
emphasize the need for better understanding of
older Māori people’s alcohol use in order to ensure
their health and wellbeing in the future. | en |
