Aims

To support the free and open dissemination of research findings and information on alcoholism and alcohol-related problems. To encourage open access to peer-reviewed articles free for all to view.

For full versions of posted research articles readers are encouraged to email requests for "electronic reprints" (text file, PDF files, FAX copies) to the corresponding or lead author, who is highlighted in the posting.

___________________________________________

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Alcohol-Attributable Mortality and Years of Potential Life Lost in Chile in 2009



The aim of the study was to estimate mortality and years of potential life lost (YPLL) attributable to alcohol consumption in 2009 in Chile.

The population considered for this study included those 15 years and over. Exposure to alcohol in the population was estimated by triangulating the records of alcohol per capita consumption in Chile with information from the Eighth National Study of Drugs in the General Population (2008). The effect of alcohol consumption on each cause of death (relative risk) was extracted from previously published meta-analyses. With this information we estimated the alcohol-attributable fraction (AAF) and deaths and YPLL due to alcohol consumption. The confidence intervals for the AAF were estimated with Monte Carlo sampling using the estimated variances of the exposure prevalence and relative effect.

The estimated total number of deaths attributable to alcohol consumption was 8753 (95% CI: 6257, 11,584) corresponding to 9.8% (95% CI: 7.01%, 12.98%) of all deaths in Chile in 2009. The total estimated YPLL attributable to alcohol were 195,475 (95% CI: 164,287, 227,726), corresponding to 21.5% (95% CI: 18.1%, 25.0%) of total YPLL for that year in Chile.

Alcohol consumption is a major risk factor and accounts for nearly one of ten deaths in Chile. These results may be used to guide the design of public health policies and evaluations.


Read Full Abstract

Request Reprint E-Mail:    alvacasti@gmail.com