Alcohol use and happiness among retired Finns living in Spain compared to those in Finland

Background: Many retired people spend part of their winters in southern Europe. Little is known about their lifestyle or psychological well-being. Aim: We investigated alcohol use and feelings of happiness among retired Finns living in Spain compared to those in Finland. Methods: A questionnaire was answered by people 65-75 years in Espoo, Finland (n = 562) and in Andalusia, Spain (n = 261). The questionnaire enquired about demographics, psychological well-being and use of alcohol. We used the American Geriatrics Society definition for at-risk alcohol consumption. Results: The Finns living in Spain had a better education, higher income, better self-rated health and more often lived with a partner than their counterparts in Espoo. Of females in Spain, 89% used alcohol and 16% were at-risk users, whereas the respective figures in Espoo were 71% (P <. 0.001) and 6% (P <. 0.001). A larger percentage of females in Spain (97%) felt happy compared to those in Espoo (88%) (P <. 0.001). These differences were not found among men. In logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, income, place of residence, self-rated health and marital status, moderate alcohol consumption was associated with happiness among females (OR 3.35, 95% CI 1.65 to 6.80) whereas at-risk consumption did not. Among males, alcohol use was not associated with happiness. Low income and poor self-rated health were inversely associated with at-risk drinking. Conclusions: A larger proportion of Finnish females aged 65-75 living in Spain use alcohol and are at-risk drinkers compared to those in Finland. Moderate use of alcohol is associated with better psychological well-being among them.