Sociodemographic characteristics and drinking status as predictors of older women's health

As part of a U.S. national survey of women's drinking and life experiences, the authors used responses from a subsample (n = 245) of women aged 55-90 years (M = 65.8 years) to examine the relationship of sociodemographic char acteristics (income, marital status, and occupational status) and drinking status to several health outcomes (self-perceived general health, depressio n, sexual satisfaction, and sexual dysfunction). In all analyses, the autho rs controlled for respondent age. Results indicated that higher household i ncome predicted greater lifetime and current sexual satisfaction with a par tner as well as higher general health ratings. Women drinkers also reported better general health than did abstainers. An interaction between marital status (married or cohabitating vs, non-married) and employment status (emp loyed vs, nonemployed) was a predictor of general health ratings. The autho rs found significant contrasts among the 4 groups when they controlled for age, income, and drinking status: (a) Among the employed respondents, the n on-married women reported better general health than did the married women; and (b) among nonmarried respondents, the employed women reported better g eneral health than did the nonemployed women.