Table 1 Descriptive statistics of the independent, dependent, mediating, moderating, and controlling variables (n = 3,865)

Dependent variable

Alcohol drinking (Drinks/week, Mean ± SD)

3.41 ± 8.51

Independent variables

Caregiving (Six levels 0 ~ 5, Mean ± SD)

0.18 ± 0.46

Mediation variable

Psychological distress (Five levels 0 ~ 4, Mean ± SD)

0.67 ± 0.97

Moderating variables

Social media use for health (Five levels 0 ~ 4, Mean ± SD)

1.25 ± 1.05

Marital or romantic partnership (n. %)

 with a partner

1,978 (51.2)

 without a partner

1,743 (45.1)

 Sociodemographic controls

Age (years, Mean ± SD)

57.01 ± 17.00

Gender (n. %)

 Female

2,204 (57.0)

 Male

1,561 (40.4)

Education ((n. %)

 Less than 8 years

80 (2.1)

 8 through 11 years

193 (5.0)

 12 years or completed high school

705 (18.2)

 Post high school training other than college (vocational or technical)

264 (6.8)

 Some college

817 (21.1)

 College graduate

979 (25.3)

 Post-graduate

684 (17.7)

Income range (Nine levels 1 ~ 9, Mean ± SD)

5.59 ± 2.26