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Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Alcohol Consumption and Mortality in the U.S
Timothy S Naimi1, Adam Sherk1, Keegan W Lawrence1
1Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada.
Racial and ethnic disparities in alcohol-attributable deaths persist, even after accounting for alcohol consumption levels. Addressing social determinants of health and implementing alcohol policies are crucial for reducing these harms.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Substance Abuse Research
Background:
- Significant racial/ethnic disparities exist in alcohol consumption patterns.
- Limited data available on racial/ethnic differences in alcohol-related mortality and causes of death.
- Understanding persistence of disparities after adjusting for alcohol intake is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comprehensively assess racial/ethnic differences in alcohol-attributable deaths.
- To evaluate racial/ethnic variations in reduced life expectancy due to alcohol.
- To determine the extent to which disparities persist after adjusting for ethanol consumption.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System for alcohol prevalence data.
- Employed National Vital Statistics System for mortality data.
- Applied alcohol-attributable fractions and the Alcohol-Related Disease Impact application for U.S. data (2020-2021).
Main Results:
- White individuals accounted for the largest proportion of alcohol-attributable deaths (70.8%).
- American Indian/Alaska Native persons exhibited the highest alcohol-attributable death rate (145.3 per 100,000) and youngest age of death (48.1 years).
- Fourfold differences in alcohol-attributable deaths remained across racial/ethnic groups after adjusting for per capita alcohol consumption.
Conclusions:
- Racial/ethnic disparities in alcohol-attributable deaths are only partially explained by consumption differences.
- Effective alcohol policies are needed to mitigate alcohol-related harms.
- Addressing social determinants of health is essential for reducing disparities across all racial/ethnic groups.
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