Mortality attributable to youth drinking in 194 WHO member countries/territories, 1990-2021

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Global Health

Background:

• Youth drinking is a major, preventable cause of mortality worldwide.
• Limited recent data exists on the global scale of mortality attributed to adolescent alcohol consumption.
• Understanding trends is crucial for targeted public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze global trends in mortality linked to youth drinking from 1990 to 2021.
• To examine mortality differences by sex, socio-demographic index (SDI), and country.
• To inform the implementation of the WHO Global Alcohol Action Plan.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal analysis of risk-attributable mortality data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021.
• Inclusion of 194 WHO member countries/territories for individuals under 20 years.
• Joinpoint regression used to calculate Average Annual Percentage Changes (AAPCs) and 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs).

Main Results:

• A total of 417,198 deaths were attributed to youth drinking between 1990 and 2021, primarily from transport injuries and interpersonal violence.
• Overall deaths declined by -0.73% annually, but mortality rates were 5.8-7.5 times higher in males than females.
• Significant decreases were observed in high and high-middle SDI countries, while low and low-middle SDI countries showed stable or increasing trends, with 30.4% experiencing increases.

Conclusions:

• Despite a global decline, youth drinking remains a significant public health concern, particularly impacting males and adolescents in lower-income nations.
• Accelerated implementation of the WHO Global Alcohol Action Plan is vital, focusing on high-mortality regions and those with rising trends.
• Addressing youth drinking requires tailored strategies considering socio-demographic disparities and specific risk factors like injuries and violence.