Alcohol attributable mortality in Belarus

Abstract

The harmful use of alcohol was identified as one of the major contributing factor to mortality in Eastern European region. The aim of the present study was to estimate the premature adult mortality attributable to alcohol abuse in Belarus on the basis of aggregate-level data of all-cause mortality and alcohol consumption. Method: Age-standardized sex-specific male and female all-cause mortality data for the period 1980-2005 and data on overall alcohol consumption were analyzed by means of ARIMA time series analysis. Results: Alcohol consumption was significantly associated with both male and female all-cause mortality rates: a 1 liter increase in overall alcohol consumption would result in a 2.8% increase in the male mortality rate and in 1.5% increase in female mortality rate. The results of the analysis also suggest that 28.4% of all male deaths and 16.4% female deaths in Belarus could be attributed to alcohol. Conclusions: these findings indicate that alcohol is a major contributor to the high mortality rate in Belarus. Therefore, prevention of alcohol-attributable harm should be a major public health priority in this former Soviet republic.