Alcohol poisonings and fatal accidents in Belarus Intoxicaciones por alcohol y accidentes mortales en Bielorrusia

Authors

  • Yury E. Razvodovsky Grodno State Medical University, Belarus. Enviar correspondencia a: Yury E. Razvodovsky Grodno State Medical University, Belarus. str. Gorky 80, 230009, Grodno, Belarus. E-mail: razvodovsky@tut.by

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.20882/adicciones.144

Keywords:

accidents, alcohol intoxication, distributed lag analysis, Belarus accidentes, intoxicación alcohólica, series temporales, Bielorrusia

Abstract

Background: High accidental deaths rate in the former Soviet republics (FSR) and its profound fluctuation over the past decades have attracted considerable interest. The mounting body of evidence point to binge drinking pattern as a potentially important contributor to accident mortality crisis in FSR. Aim: The aim of this study was to estimate the aggregate-level effect of binge drinking on the accident mortality rate in the former Soviet Slavic republic Belarus. Method: Trends in fatal alcohol poisoning (as a proxy for binge drinking) and accidental deaths rates from 1979 to 2007 were analyzed employing a distributed lag analysis in order to asses bivariate relationship between the two time series. Results: According to Bureau of Forensic Medicine autopsy reports the number of deaths due to accidents and injuries increased by 94.5% (from 38.7 to 75.6 per 100.000 of residents), and fatal alcohol poisoning rate increased by 108.6% (from 12.8 to 26.7 per 100.000 of residents) in Belarus between 1979 and 2007. Alcohol in blood was found in 51.4% victims of deaths from accidents and injuries for the whole period, with the minimum figure 43.1% in 1986 and maximum 59.1% in 2005. The outcome of distributed lags analysis indicated statistically significant association between the number of alcohol poisoning deaths and the number BAC (blood alcohol concentration)- positive deaths from accidents and injuries at zero lag. Conclusion: The outcome of this study supports the hypothesis that alcohol and deaths from accidents and injuries are closely connected in culture with prevailing intoxication-oriented drinking pattern. This research evidence points to binge drinking pattern as a potentially important contributor to accident mortality crisis in Belarus.
Antecedentes: Alta tasa de muertes accidentales en las antiguas repúblicas soviéticas (ARS) y sus grandes fluctuaciones en las últimas décadas han atraído un interés considerable. Aumenta la evidencia que apunta hacia un patrón de consumo intensivo de alcohol como un factor potencialmente importante en la crisis de mortalidad por accidentes en las ARS. Objetivo: El objetivo de este estudio fue estimar el efecto a nivel agregado del consumo intensivo de alcohol en la tasa de mortalidad por accidentes en la ex república soviética de Bielorrusia. Método: Las tendencias en la intoxicación alcohólica grave (como un proxy para consumo excesivo de alcohol) y las tasas de muertes por accidente desde 1979 hasta 2007 son analizadas mediante un análisis de series temporales distribuídas con el fin de evaluar la relación bivariante entre las dos series temporales. Resultados: De acuerdo con los informes sobre autopsias de la Oficina de Medicina Forense el número de muertes debido a accidentes y lesiones aumentaron un 94,5% (38,7 a 75,6 por 100.000 habitantes), y la tasa de intoxicación etílica fatal aumentó en un 108,6% (12,8 a 26,7 por 100.000 de los residentes) en Bielorrusia entre 1979 y 2007. El alcohol en la sangre se encontró en el 51.4% de las víctimas de muertes por accidentes y lesiones durante todo el período, con la cifra mínima de 43,1% en 1986 y 59,1% como máximo en 2005. El resultado del análisis de series temporales distribuídas indicó una asociación estadísticamente significativa entre el número de muertes por envenenamiento por alcohol y el número de alcoholemias positivas en muertes por accidentes y lesiones en el intervalo cero. Conclusión: El resultado de este estudio apoya la hipótesis de que el alcohol y las muertes por accidentes y lesiones están estrechamente relacionada con una cultura con un patrón de consumo orientado a la intoxicación. Esta investigación apunta hacia que el patrón de consumo intensivo de alcohol en Bielorrusia es un factor potencialmente importante en la crisis de mortalidad por accidentes de dicho país.

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Published

2011-09-01

Issue

Vol. 23 No. 3 (2011)

Section

Originals