Aggregate - level beverage - specific effect of alcohol on alcoholism and alcohol psychoses rate

Abstract

Background:

It is very important to monitor and analyze statistics on the adverse consequences of alcohol abuse. In fact, there is already a tradition of using the alcohol consumption per capita level as an index of magnitude of alcohol-related problems.

Statistical data of narcological service reports turns out to be a unique source of information regarding the problem.

Purpose:

In the present paper we focused on the aggregate-level, beverage-specific effect of alcohol consumption on alcoholism and alcohol psychoses morbidity rate.

Method:

Trends in alcoholism and alcohol psychoses morbidity rate and beverage-specific level of alcohol consumption per capita from 1970 to 2005 in Belarus were analyzed employing ARIMA analysis in order to assess bivariate relationship between time series.

Results:

According to official statistics, alcohol psychoses rate increased 3.5 fold (from 6.8 to 23.7 per 100.000 of population) and alcoholism rate increased 6.0 fold (from 51.5 to 304.7 per 100.000 of population).

The results of analysis suggest close relationship between alcohol psychoses morbidity rate and total level of alcohol consumption per capita (r = 0.72; SE = 0.18), as well as strong spirits (vodka) consumption (r = 0.47; SE = 0.18).

Conclusion:

The outcome of present study suggests that alcohol psychoses morbidity rate is considered to be reliable enough statistical index reflecting the level of alcohol-related problems in the society.