ArticleJMIR aging2026
Early-Life Experiences as Moderators of the Relationship Between Extreme Heat and Alcohol Consumption among Older Adults: Quantitative Study.
Article in JMIR aging, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Background: Climate change has intensified the frequency and duration of extreme heat events worldwide, posing growing public health risks, particularly for older adults who are physiologically more susceptible to heat-related illnesses. Concurrently, alcohol consumption among older adults in the United States has risen significantly over the past 2 decades, increasing vulnerability to dehydration, cardiovascular strain, and cognitive impairment during heat exposure. Emerging evidence suggests that environmental stressors such as extreme heat may exacerbate maladaptive coping behaviors, including alcohol use; however, few studies have examined this association in aging populations. Moreover, little is known about how early-life experiences such as childhood adversity or positive parental relationships shape behavioral responses to environmental stressors later in life. Objective: This study examines the relationship between extreme heat and alcohol consumption among older Americans, emphasizing the moderating role of early-life experiences within a life course framework. Methods: Using data from individuals aged >50 years in the Health and Retirement Study (1996-2018), we analyzed the association between extreme heat exposure (>95 °F) and alcohol consumption, while examining whether early-life experiences such as parental substance abuse, law enforcement encounters, and relationships with fathers moderate this relationship. Results: Extreme heat exposure was significantly associated with increased alcohol consumption (0.21% per additional extreme heat day, P<.001). A positive father-child relationship buffered this effect, while adverse early-life experiences, including law enforcement encounters (0.08%, P<.001) and parental substance abuse (0.05%, P<.001), exacerbated it. Conclusions: Given the link between extreme heat and alcohol use in older adults, further longitudinal research and targeted interventions are needed to mitigate associated health risks. Strengthening positive childhood experiences may offer long-term protective effects by fostering resilience and healthier coping mechanisms that persist into later life.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.