Risk of violence-related injury from alcohol consumption and its burden to society in Latin America and the Caribbean

["The break in care": Mothers' experiences with alcohol abuse and care in Mexico]

This article aims to analyze the experiences related to motherhood and care among mothers who attend mutual support groups to address alcohol-related harm in Mexico City and the State of Mexico. Drawing on the conceptual framework of collective health from a gender perspective, we contend that socioeconomic and gender-related factors influence the social determination of alcoholism and the health-disease-attention-care process. A qualitative study was conducted between May 2020 and January 2021, which included interviews with ten women who were selected based on specific criteria, as well as non-participant observation in a women's Alcoholics Anonymous group. The main findings show how trajectories of alcohol abuse and its management are interconnected with trajectories of care. From there, it was possible to identify a "break in care," a category that sheds light on mistreatment and the precariousness of life and health of women and their children.

Dose-Response Relationship of Alcohol and Injury Cause: Effects of Country-Level Drinking Pattern and Alcohol Policy

BACKGROUND

The dose-response relationship of alcohol and injury and the effects of country-level detrimental drinking pattern (DDP) and alcohol control policy on this relationship are examined for specific causes of injury.

METHODS

The dose-response risk of injury is analyzed on 18,627 injured patients in 22 countries included in the International Collaborative Alcohol and Injury Study, using case-crossover analysis by cause of injury (traffic, violence, falls, other), DDP, and the International Alcohol Policy and Injury Index.

RESULTS

Risk of all injury was higher at all volume levels in higher DDP countries compared to lower DDP countries and for each cause of injury. Risk of injury from traffic was significantly greater in higher DDP than lower DDP countries at 3.1 to 6 drinks (odds ratio (OR) = 2.64, confidence interval (CI) = 1.17 to 5.97) and at ≤3 drinks for falls (OR = 2.51, CI = 1.52 to 4.16) and injuries from other causes (OR = 1.72, CI = 1.10 to 2.69). Countries with higher restrictive alcohol policy were at a lower risk of injury at lower levels of consumption (≤3 drinks) for all injuries (OR = 0.72, CI = 0.56 to 0.92) and for injuries from other causes (OR = 0.46, CI = 0.29 to 0.73) and at a lower risk of traffic injuries at higher levels of consumption (≥10 drinks). At higher levels of consumption (≥10 drinks), countries with higher alcohol policy restrictiveness were at greater risk of all injuries (OR = 2.03, CI = 1.29 to 3.20) and those from violence (OR = 9.02, CI = 3.00 to 27.13) and falls (OR = 4.29, CI = 1.86 to 9.91).

CONCLUSIONS

Countries with high DDP are at higher risk of injury from most causes at a given level of consumption, while countries with low restrictiveness of alcohol policy are at higher risk of injury at lower levels of consumption and at higher risk of traffic injuries at high levels of consumption. These findings underscore the importance of aggregate-level factors which need to be considered in developing effective intervention and prevention strategies for reducing alcohol-related injury.

Single episode of alcohol use resulting in injury: a cross-sectional study in 21 countries

OBJECTIVE

To examine the empirical basis for including the diagnostic category of "a single episode of harmful substance use" in the 11th revision of the International statistical classification of diseases and related health problems (ICD-11).

METHODS

We used data on patients admitted to emergency departments in 21 countries with alcohol-related injuries (i.e. with drinking within the preceding six hours) who had no sign of alcohol intoxication or withdrawal, no alcohol in blood and no sign of alcohol dependence or harmful drinking as described in the ICD-10. We obtained data on alcohol-related injuries, the patient's causal attribution of injury to drinking, the alcohol amount consumed, blood alcohol concentration and usual drinking pattern. Patients with and without alcohol dependence or harmful drinking were compared.

FINDINGS

We included a representative sample of 18 369 patients. After adjustment for unequal sampling, 18.8% reported drinking in the six hours before injury and 47.1% of these attributed their injury to drinking; 16.3% of those reporting drinking and 10.3% of those attributing their injury to drinking were not alcohol dependent or harmful drinkers. The majority of these last two groups reported never having had five or more drinks on one occasion during the last year and had a blood alcohol concentration less than 0.05%.

CONCLUSION

Some individuals attending emergency departments had alcohol-attributable injuries due to a single episode of drinking but had no history of harmful use or dependence. These findings highlight the public health relevance of including the new diagnostic category in the ICD-11.