Estimated alcohol-caused deaths in Australia, 1990-97
The purpose of the study was to provide updated estimates of alcohol-caused mortality rates in Australia between 1990 and 1997, making adjustments for changes in the prevalence of high-risk alcohol use estimated on the basis of per capita alcohol consumption (PCAC). Deaths wholly and partially attri...
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Published in | Drug and alcohol review Vol. 21; no. 2; pp. 121 - 129 |
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Main Authors | , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Oxford, UK
Informa UK Ltd
01.06.2002
Blackwell Publishing Ltd |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | The purpose of the study was to provide updated estimates of alcohol-caused mortality rates in Australia between 1990 and 1997, making adjustments for changes in the prevalence of high-risk alcohol use estimated on the basis of per capita alcohol consumption (PCAC). Deaths wholly and partially attributable to high-risk alcohol consumption were extracted from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Mortality Datafile (1990-1997) and multiplied by specific aetiological fractions, which in turn were adjusted by changes in the prevalence of high-risk alcohol use estimated on the basis of annual changes in PCAC. The yearly trends in age-standardized rates of estimated alcohol-caused deaths were compared with those using (i) aetiological fractions unadjusted for changes in PCAC, and (ii) wholly alcohol-caused conditions only (thus requiring no application of aetiological fractions). The age-standardized rates of all alcohol-caused deaths among males aged 15+ years declined from 1990 (4.01/10 000) to 1993 (3.19/10 000) and decreased far more slowly up to 1997 (3.15/10 000) - 16% overall. For females, these rates declined steadily from 1990 (1.75/10 000) to 1997 (1.33/10 000) - 19% overall. Similar patterns in time trends were noted for estimated alcohol-caused death rates calculated as in (i) and (ii). However, the proportional decreases in rates (21.6% for males; 24.0% for females) would have been underestimated by 16% (males) and 19% (females) if the alcohol aetiological fractions had not been adjusted to take account of the estimated annual changes in the prevalence of high-risk drinking. The declines in estimated alcohol-caused death rates were more pronounced than the 9% decline in PCAC, and were due mainly to decreasing death rates for stroke (men and women), alcoholic liver cirrhosis and road injuries (men only). When aetiological fractions are used to measure temporal trends in estimated alcohol-caused death rates from official mortality statistics, they should account for annual changes in the prevalence of high-risk drinking. Such changes in prevalence can be deduced from yearly fluctuations in PCAC. |
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Bibliography: | ark:/67375/WNG-TVLVJH3J-N istex:62910DD5151F7744A67DFA33ECA139A0163D939D ArticleID:DAR769 Drug and Alcohol Review, v.21, no.2, June 2002: (121)-129 Penny Heale BBSc, Grad Dip App Soc Psych, Research Fellow, Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre, Inc., Fitzroy, VIC 3065 Helen Jonas Msc, PhD, MS (Epidemiology), Senior Lecturer, School of Health and Human Sciences, La Trobe University Bendigo (formerly of Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre Inc.) Tanya Chikritzhs BA(Hons), PGrad Dip Health Science, Research Fellow, National Drug Research Institute Paul Dietze PhD, BSc(Hons), Senior Research Fellow, VicHealth Public Health Research Fellow, Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre, Inc., Fitzroy, VIC 3065, Australia. Timothy Stockwell PhD, MA (Oxon), MSc, Director and Professor, National Drug Research Institute ObjectType-Article-2 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-1 content type line 23 ObjectType-Article-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 |
ISSN: | 0959-5236 1465-3362 |
DOI: | 10.1080/09595230220139019 |