Trends of alcohol-attributable deaths in Lithuania 2001–2021: epidemiology and policy conclusions
Abstract Background Lithuania, a Baltic country in the European Union, can be characterized by high alcohol consumption and attributable burden. The aim of this contribution is to estimate the mortality burden due to alcohol use for the past two decades based on different relative risk functions, id...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2024-03-01
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| Series: | BMC Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-18237-y |
| _version_ | 1797258930322145280 |
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| author | Jürgen Rehm Pol Rovira Huan Jiang Shannon Lange Kevin D. Shield Alexander Tran Mindaugas Štelemėkas |
| author_facet | Jürgen Rehm Pol Rovira Huan Jiang Shannon Lange Kevin D. Shield Alexander Tran Mindaugas Štelemėkas |
| author_sort | Jürgen Rehm |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Lithuania, a Baltic country in the European Union, can be characterized by high alcohol consumption and attributable burden. The aim of this contribution is to estimate the mortality burden due to alcohol use for the past two decades based on different relative risk functions, identify trends, and analyse the associations of alcohol-attributable burden with alcohol control policies and life expectancy. Methods The standard methodology used by the World Health Organization for estimating alcohol-attributable mortality was employed to generate mortality rates for alcohol-attributable mortality, standardized for Lithuania’s 2021 population distribution. Joinpoint analysis, T-tests, correlations, and regression analyses including meta-regressions were used to describe trends and associations. Results Age-standardized alcohol-attributable mortality was high in Lithuania during the two decades between 2001 and 2021, irrespective of which relative risks were used for the estimates. Overall, there was a downward trend, mainly in males, which was associated with four years of intensive implementation of alcohol control policies in 2008, 2009, 2017, and 2018. For the remaining years, the rates of alcohol-attributable mortality were stagnant. Among males, the correlations between alcohol-attributable mortality and life expectancy were 0.90 and 0.76 for Russian and global relative risks respectively, and regression analyses indicated a significant association between changes in alcohol-attributable mortality and life expectancy, after controlling for gross domestic product. Conclusions Male mortality and life expectancy in Lithuania were closely linked to alcohol-attributable mortality and markedly associated with strong alcohol control policies. Further implementation of such policies is predicted to lead to further improvements in life expectancy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T23:01:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-41bafd29b6ec4bd9a1174c0f9a803854 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T23:01:21Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-41bafd29b6ec4bd9a1174c0f9a8038542024-03-17T12:41:17ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582024-03-012411910.1186/s12889-024-18237-yTrends of alcohol-attributable deaths in Lithuania 2001–2021: epidemiology and policy conclusionsJürgen Rehm0Pol Rovira1Huan Jiang2Shannon Lange3Kevin D. Shield4Alexander Tran5Mindaugas Štelemėkas6Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental HealthProgram on Substance Abuse & WHO CC, Public Health Agency of CataloniaInstitute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental HealthInstitute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental HealthInstitute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental HealthInstitute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental HealthHealth Research Institute, Faculty of Public Health, Lithuanian University of Health SciencesAbstract Background Lithuania, a Baltic country in the European Union, can be characterized by high alcohol consumption and attributable burden. The aim of this contribution is to estimate the mortality burden due to alcohol use for the past two decades based on different relative risk functions, identify trends, and analyse the associations of alcohol-attributable burden with alcohol control policies and life expectancy. Methods The standard methodology used by the World Health Organization for estimating alcohol-attributable mortality was employed to generate mortality rates for alcohol-attributable mortality, standardized for Lithuania’s 2021 population distribution. Joinpoint analysis, T-tests, correlations, and regression analyses including meta-regressions were used to describe trends and associations. Results Age-standardized alcohol-attributable mortality was high in Lithuania during the two decades between 2001 and 2021, irrespective of which relative risks were used for the estimates. Overall, there was a downward trend, mainly in males, which was associated with four years of intensive implementation of alcohol control policies in 2008, 2009, 2017, and 2018. For the remaining years, the rates of alcohol-attributable mortality were stagnant. Among males, the correlations between alcohol-attributable mortality and life expectancy were 0.90 and 0.76 for Russian and global relative risks respectively, and regression analyses indicated a significant association between changes in alcohol-attributable mortality and life expectancy, after controlling for gross domestic product. Conclusions Male mortality and life expectancy in Lithuania were closely linked to alcohol-attributable mortality and markedly associated with strong alcohol control policies. Further implementation of such policies is predicted to lead to further improvements in life expectancy.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-18237-yAlcoholAttributable deathsFully attributablePartially attributableAlcohol-attributable deathsGender |
| spellingShingle | Jürgen Rehm Pol Rovira Huan Jiang Shannon Lange Kevin D. Shield Alexander Tran Mindaugas Štelemėkas Trends of alcohol-attributable deaths in Lithuania 2001–2021: epidemiology and policy conclusions BMC Public Health Alcohol Attributable deaths Fully attributable Partially attributable Alcohol-attributable deaths Gender |
| title | Trends of alcohol-attributable deaths in Lithuania 2001–2021: epidemiology and policy conclusions |
| title_full | Trends of alcohol-attributable deaths in Lithuania 2001–2021: epidemiology and policy conclusions |
| title_fullStr | Trends of alcohol-attributable deaths in Lithuania 2001–2021: epidemiology and policy conclusions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Trends of alcohol-attributable deaths in Lithuania 2001–2021: epidemiology and policy conclusions |
| title_short | Trends of alcohol-attributable deaths in Lithuania 2001–2021: epidemiology and policy conclusions |
| title_sort | trends of alcohol attributable deaths in lithuania 2001 2021 epidemiology and policy conclusions |
| topic | Alcohol Attributable deaths Fully attributable Partially attributable Alcohol-attributable deaths Gender |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-18237-y |
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