How healthcare can better help older women with risky drinking

Role of Health Care in Addressing Unhealthy Alcohol Use and Disparities among Aging Women

NIH-funded research Kaiser Foundation Research Institute · NIH-11132701

This project uses electronic health records to find ways healthcare can better help women aged 50 and older who drink in risky ways.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionKaiser Foundation Research Institute NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Oakland, UNITED STATES)
Project IDNIH-11132701 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

From a patient's point of view, the team will analyze health records for about 1.3 million women age 50 and older in a large health system that routinely screens for alcohol use. They will link screening results with medical and psychiatric diagnoses, patient-reported behaviors, and health service visits from an NIAAA-funded alcohol registry. The study uses both quantitative data and qualitative methods to identify which subgroups of aging women face the biggest gaps in care and what barriers keep them from getting treatment. Findings will be used to suggest practical changes in primary care and other health services to reduce alcohol-related harms in older women.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Women aged 50 or older who drink at risky or unhealthy levels and receive care within a large integrated health system are the ideal group for this work.

Not a fit: Men, people younger than 50, and patients who receive care outside the included health system are unlikely to directly benefit from this project's specific findings.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to better screening, referral, and treatment strategies tailored to older women, reducing alcohol-related harms and improving co-occurring health conditions.

How similar studies have performed: Universal alcohol screening in primary care has identified risky drinking in other settings, but targeted research and interventions specifically for older women remain limited and relatively new.

Where this research is happening

Oakland, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-10 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.