Twenty-Year Observational Study Shows Rising Alcohol-Attributable Death Profiles in the U.S. and Delaware.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Mortality Statistics

Background:

• Alcohol-attributable mortality is the third-leading cause of preventable deaths in the U.S.
• Understanding trends in alcohol-related deaths is crucial for public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the burden of alcohol-attributable mortality in the U.S. from 1999 to 2018.
• To examine demographic disparities in alcohol-related death rates, including by gender, age, and race.

Main Methods:

• Utilized observational data from 1999-2018.
• Employed the International Classification of Diseases (Tenth Revision) codes.
• Analyzed alcohol-related disease impact (ARDI) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER) death certificate data.

Main Results:

• U.S. alcohol-attributable mortality rates increased by 53.73% overall.
• Female mortality rates increased more rapidly (90.03%) than males.
• Middle-aged groups and the African American/Black (AA/B) community experienced significant shifts in alcohol-related death rates, with AA/B rates declining then increasing (-6.35% overall).
• Delaware showed alcohol-attributable mortality rates above national averages for both gender and race.

Conclusions:

• Alcohol use disorder is a significant risk factor for mortality in the U.S. and Delaware.
• Disparities in alcohol-attributable mortality exist across gender, age, and racial groups.
• Targeted public health strategies are needed to address alcohol-related mortality, especially for vulnerable populations.