What the study found
An online alcohol intervention for older adults, called Rethink My Drink, reduced monthly alcohol use more than an online information booklet after 12 months. The study did not find a significant difference between groups in global cognition, a measure of overall cognitive performance.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that Rethink My Drink is an effective and scalable intervention and say it has considerable potential for reducing alcohol use among older adults. The study also notes that alcohol use in older adults is increasing and is associated with cognitive impairment and dementia.
What the researchers tested
The researchers ran a two-arm, parallel-group, randomised controlled trial online in community-based adults aged 60-75 years in Australia who screened as having high-risk alcohol use. Participants were assigned to a four-module online intervention or an active control group that received an online patient information booklet, with outcomes measured at 12 months.
What worked and what didn't
The intervention group had greater reductions in the number of standard drinks consumed in the past month than the control group at 12 months, with a difference of 5.02 standard drinks. The difference in global cognition was not significant at 12 months. Two non-serious adverse events were reported and assessed as unrelated to the trial.
What to keep in mind
The trial excluded people with neurological disorders, previous treatment for Alzheimer's disease, and non-correctable visual impairment, so the findings apply to the studied group. The abstract does not describe other limitations beyond the sample characteristics and exclusion criteria.
Key points
- Rethink My Drink led to greater reductions in monthly alcohol use than an online information booklet.
- The between-group difference in drinking at 12 months was 5.02 standard drinks.
- The study did not find a significant difference in global cognition at 12 months.
- The trial included community-based adults aged 60-75 years in Australia with high-risk alcohol use.
- Two non-serious adverse events were reported and were judged unrelated to the trial.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Online alcohol program reduced drinking in older adults
- Authors:
- L. Mewton, Virginia Winter, Nicholas Hoy, Rachel Visontay, Sarah Davies, Nicole Kochan, Andrew Baillie, Cath Chapman, Nicola C. Newton, Matthew Sunderland, Perminder S. Sachdev, Maree Teesson
- Institutions:
- UNSW Sydney, The University of Sydney, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney Local Health District
- Publication date:
- 2026-04-20
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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