A Cross-National Analysis of Alcohol Consumption and Suicide Rates: Variations by Population-Level Drinking Patterns

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 625-642 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Testa ◽  
Douglas B. Weiss ◽  
Mateus Rennó Santos
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Suicide Mortality ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Drinking Patterns ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
Total Alcohol ◽  
National Analysis ◽  
Cross National

This study assesses the association between the population-level consumption of different types of alcohol and cross-national suicide rates and examines whether this association is moderated by country-specific drinking patterns. We apply negative binomial regression to test whether the consumption of beer, wine, or spirits is predictive of suicide rates. Next, we use interaction terms to examine whether the effect of beverage-specific consumption on suicide rates is moderated by total alcohol consumption, prevalence of consumption, or the riskiness of drinking patterns. We find that only spirit consumption has a positive and statistically significant association with suicide rates. The effect of spirit consumption on suicide is higher among countries where the total alcohol consumption and the prevalence of alcohol consumption are lower, and patterns of drinking are riskier. Future research should continue to investigate this relationship to develop interventions that reduce suicide mortality related to alcohol use.

Unlocking Patterns of Alcohol Consumption in British Columbia Using Alcohol Sales Data: A Foundation for Public Health Monitoring

2009 ◽  
Vol 36 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 499-516 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott MacDonald ◽  
Jinhui Zhao ◽  
Basia Pakula ◽  
Tim Stockwell ◽  
Lorissa Martens
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
British Columbia ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Alternative Methods ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Sales Data ◽  
Total Alcohol ◽  
Statistics Canada ◽  
Alcohol Sales

Alcohol sales data provide a more accurate indication of alcohol consumption than alternative methods such as population surveys. This information can be used to better understand epidemiological issues related to alcohol consumption, policy development and evaluation. Official sales records were collected for the 28 regional districts of British Columbia (BC) for 2002–2005, while homemade alcohol was estimated from survey data. Alcohol consumption rates were found to vary across geographic regions, by season, and with population level demographics. Government stores were the largest source of alcohol consumption in BC, accounting for 45.1% of total alcohol consumption in 2004. U-Brews/U-Vins accounted for 4.0%, private liquor stores accounted for 27.5% of the total, and homemade alcohol made up 4.3% of total alcohol consumption. Analysis also revealed that the average alcohol concentration in wines (12.53%) and coolers (6.77%) has been underestimated by Statistics Canada. The feasibility of developing this type of alcohol monitoring system is examined. Finally, implications for the development of targeted public health initiatives and future research are discussed.

scholarly journals Economic crises and suicides between 1970 and 2011: time trend study in 21 developed countries

2019 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 311-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanna Huikari ◽  
Jouko Miettunen ◽  
Marko Korhonen
Keyword(s):  
Financial Crisis ◽  
Stock Market ◽  
Financial Crises ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Global Financial Crisis ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Suicide Mortality ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
Market Crashes ◽  
Economic Recessions

BackgroundExisting research on the relationship between economic recessions and suicides has almost completely concentrated on the most recent global financial crisis (2008). We provide the most comprehensive explanation to date of how different types of economic/financial crises since 1970 have affected suicides in developed countries.MethodsNegative binomial regressions were used to estimate what the suicide rates would have been during and 1 year after each crisis began in 21 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries from 1970 to 2011 if the suicide rates had followed the pre-crisis trends.ResultsWe found that every economic/financial crisis since 1970, except the European Exchange Rate Mechanism crisis in 1992, led to excess suicides in developed countries. Among males, the excess suicide rate (per 100 000 persons) varied from 1.1 (95% CI 0.7 to 1.5) to 9.5 (7.6 to 11.2) and, among females, from 0 to 2.4 (1.9 to 2.9). For both sexes, suicides increased mostly due to stock market crashes and banking crises. In terms of actual numbers, the post-1969 economic/financial crises caused >60 000 excess suicides in the 21 developed countries. The Asian financial crisis in 1997 was the most damaging crisis when assessed based on excess suicides.ConclusionsEvidence indicates that, when considered in terms of effects on suicide mortality, the most recent global financial crisis is not particularly severe compared with previous global economic/financial crises. The distinct types of crises (ie, banking, currency and inflation crises, and stock market crashes) have different effects on suicide.

scholarly journals Differences in drinking patterns between men and women in Brazil

2011 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 367-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia C Wolle ◽  
Marcos Sanches ◽  
Monica L Zilberman ◽  
Raul Caetano ◽  
Marcos Zaleski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Binge Drinking ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Negative Binomial Regression ◽  
Treatment Programs ◽  
Drinking Patterns ◽  
Age And Gender ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
And Gender

OBJECTIVE: To examine sex differences in alcohol consumption according to age groups, and to assess gender and age effects on several aspects of alcohol consumption patterns. METHOD: Based on a Brazilian nationwide representative sample (n = 3,007), we analysed the differences in drinking patterns between genders. We also assessed the effects of gender, age, and gender by age interaction for alcohol consumption dimensions (frequent drinking, usual intake, binge drinking, and frequent binge drinking), using logistic and negative binomial regression models. RESULTS: Gender, age, and gender by age interaction had significant effects on the predictive models for all studied drinking patterns, except for the 'usual' dosage. The effect of gender on drinking patterns varies with age. While gender has a greater effect in older age groups, the difference between men and women decreased in the younger age groups. CONCLUSIONS: Gender convergence regarding alcohol use is a trend that might be influenced by environmental factors and should be addressed in prevention and treatment programs, as well as in public health policies.

scholarly journals The Finnish Drinking Habits Survey: Implications for alcohol policy and prevention

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 619-631
Author(s):  
Katariina Warpenius ◽  
Pia Mäkelä
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Alcohol Policy ◽  
Alcohol Prevention ◽  
Drinking Patterns ◽  
Policy Debate ◽  
Drinking Habits ◽  
Alcohol Related Harm ◽  
Related Harm

Aims/materials: This reflection piece reviews some of the key results and conclusions from the book Näin Suomi juo ( This is how Finns drink, 2018), based on the Finnish Drinking Habits Survey. Our aim was to go through the results taking the perspective of prevention workers and policymakers: how could they benefit from the scientific findings when tackling alcohol-related harm? Results/reflections: The reflections displayed in this article provide some useful arguments and justifications for population-level alcohol policy in the controversial alcohol policy debate. Harms do not only arise among the heaviest drinkers, and efficient methods to prevent harm may be found among the prevention efforts that apply to populations rather than only to the heaviest drinkers. The article also illustrates how the results from a population survey can be used in order to identify specific challenges and solutions for alcohol prevention in a given population. The results help in identifying the population groups and situations with an elevated risk of alcohol-related harm and in characterising the drinking patterns and social situations in which drinking takes place in these vulnerable parts of the population. Conclusions: The review illustrates that a many-sided understanding of alcohol consumption and the related harm, based on survey results, is more far-reaching in terms of prevention and policy than a knowledge base built solely on register data on the development of alcohol consumption and harm. For example, the respondents’ drinking patterns are linked not only to their attitudes and risk perceptions but also to what people consider to be appropriate means to reduce alcohol use and the related harm in terms of alcohol policy, informal social control and people’s life management.

Alcoholic psychoses and suicide trends in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S401-S401
Author(s):  
Y. Razvodovsky
Keyword(s):  
Binge Drinking ◽  
Rank Order ◽  
Heavy Drinking ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Soviet Period ◽  
Suicide Mortality ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Mortality Trends ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
Post Soviet Period

IntroductionThe dramatic fluctuations in suicide mortality in the countries of the former Soviet Union (fSU) over the past decades have been widely discussed in the scientific literature and are still relatively unexplored. Accumulated evidence suggests that the mixture of cultural acceptance of heavy drinking, high rate of distilled spirits consumption, and binge drinking pattern is major contributor to the suicide mortality burden in fSU countries.AimsThe present study aims to analyze whether binge drinking is able to explain the dramatic fluctuations in suicide mortality in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine from the late Soviet to post-Soviet period.MethodTrends in alcoholic psychoses incidence and suicide rates from 1980 to 2015 in Russia Belarus and Ukraine were analyzed employing a Spearman's rank-order correlation analysis.ResultsThe estimates based on the Soviet data suggest a strong positive association between alcoholic psychoses and suicide rates in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. This positive relationship was less evident in the post-Soviet period.ConclusionCollectively, these findings indicate that alcohol has played an important role in the fluctuation of suicide mortality rates in the former Soviet republics during the last decades. Further monitoring of suicide mortality trends in the former Soviet countries and detailed comparisons with earlier developments in other countries remain a priority for future research.Disclosure of interestThe author has not supplied his/her declaration of competing interest.

scholarly journals Sex-specific and age-specific suicide mortality by method in 58 countries between 2000 and 2015

2020 ◽  
pp. injuryprev-2019-043601 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue Wu ◽  
David C Schwebel ◽  
Yun Huang ◽  
Peishan Ning ◽  
Peixia Cheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Suicide Mortality ◽  
Mortality Data ◽  
Suicide Method ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Binomial Models ◽  
Country Specific

ObjectiveTo examine recent changes in sex-specific and age-specific suicide mortality by method across countries.MethodsUsing mortality data from the WHO mortality database, we compared sex-specific, age-specific and country-specific suicide mortality by method between 2000 and 2015. We considered seven major suicide methods: poisoning by pesticides, all other poisoning, firearms and explosives, hanging, jumping from height, drowning and other methods. Changes in suicide mortality were quantified using negative binomial models among three age groups (15–44 years, 45–64 years, and 65 years and above) for males and females separately.ResultsSuicide mortality declined substantially for both sexes and all three age groups studied in 37 of the 58 included countries between 2000 and 2015. Males consistently had much higher suicide mortality rates than females in all 58 countries. Hanging was the most common suicide method in the majority of 58 countries. Sex-specific suicide mortality varied across 58 countries significantly for all three age groups. The spectrum of suicide method generally remained stable for 28 of 58 included countries; notable changes occurred in the other 30 countries, including especially Colombia, Finland and Trinidad and Tobago.ConclusionLikely as a result of prevention efforts as well as sociodemographic changes, suicide mortality decreased substantially in 37 of the included 58 countries between 2000 and 2015. Further actions are needed to explore specific drivers of the recent changes (particularly for increases in eight countries), to understand substantial disparities in suicide rates across countries, and to develop interventions to reduce suicide rates globally.

Relationships between Beer, Wine, and Spirits Consumption and Suicide Rates in U.S. States from 1977 to 1988

1996 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 227-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiepu Liu ◽  
John W. Waterbor ◽  
Seng-Jaw Soong
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Suicide Rate ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Inverse Association ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
Total Alcohol

Relationships between alcohol consumption and suicide rates were examined through an ecological study. Data on total apparent per capita alcohol consumption, as well as beer, wine, and spirits consumption, from 1977 to 1988 in each of the fifty U.S. states and District of Columbia were compared with suicide rates. It was found that total alcohol consumption was weakly but significantly related to suicide rate by univariate analysis ( r = 0.16, p < 0.01). Pearson correlation coefficients were 0.30, 0.12, and −0.01 for correlation of suicide rate with beer, wine, and spirits consumption, respectively. Over the twelve years, the magnitude of associations between total alcohol consumption and suicide varied with correlation coefficients of 0.29, 0.23, 0.09, and 0.11 for four three-year periods, 1977–79, 1980–82, 1983–85, and 1986–88, respectively. The association between beer consumption and suicide persisted over the whole period with correlation coefficients of 0.35, 0.31, 0.26, and 0.30, while that between wine and suicide did not. Associations were also examined by quartile of each alcohol's consumption. Significant inverse association was found for beer as well as total consumptions at the lowest quartile. However, at the highest quartile, beer and spirits consumption showed positive association with suicide. These data suggest a “U-shaped” curve relating suicide rate to alcohol consumption. By using 1980 census data with adjustment for confounding effects of socioeconomic factors, total alcoholconsumption was found to be positively associated with suicide especially at high consumption level. At low level consumption, beer showed an inverse association with suicide after controlling for confounding effects.

Possible Relations between General Population Suicide Rates and Societal Crime: A Cross-National Study

2008 ◽  
Vol 103 (2) ◽  
pp. 639-642
Author(s):  
Ajit Shah ◽  
Ritesh Bhandarkar
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
World Health ◽  
National Study ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Suicide Rates ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
National Analysis ◽  
Cross National Study ◽  
Cross National

Crime may be associated with a less structured society, less social integration, and feelings of less security and greater distress among citizens, which characteristics may lead to mental illness and subsequent suicide. Therefore, a cross-national analysis examining the association of general population suicide rates with percent of males and females in the population victimised by different categories of crime was undertaken using cross-national data from the World Health Organization and United Nations for 42 countries. Spearman correlations were generally weak and not statistically significant. Those values were at variance with the study's hypothesis and may be explained by several factors, including methodological issues. Individual-level case-control or cohort studies of suicides and attempted suicides in the general population may permit exploration of the relation of general population suicides with experience and percent by nations of being victimised by crime.

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