New study highlights gaps in understanding of alcohol-related mortality

Motor vehicle crashes, liver disease are commonly studied, but little research exists on social determinants of other alcohol-related causes of death

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. - Experts at RTI International, a nonprofit research institute, are authors of a new review examining existing literature on the relationship between social determinants of health and alcohol-related mortality in the U.S.

The study found that while many researchers have analyzed fatal alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes and liver disease mortality, fewer have looked at social determinants of other causes of death related to chronic alcohol use.

The review also identified significant knowledge gaps related to the potential impacts of racism and discrimination, community-level prevention activities, and social and medical services on alcohol-related mortality.

"Our analysis adds to evidence that alcohol policies and socioeconomic conditions play important roles in determining alcohol-related death rates," said lead author Katherine Karriker-Jaffe, Ph.D., a behavioral health expert at RTI. "Importantly, we need more research on how local community contexts affect these outcomes, particularly for people of different races, genders, and other subgroups."

The RTI team's review covered studies published between 1990 and 2023, focusing on social determinants measured at community, county, or state levels. These included factors such as alcohol control policies, health care availability, and socioeconomic environments.

Future studies that better describe the relationship between social determinants of health and alcohol use could identify promising new strategies for reducing alcohol-related deaths, the authors note.

The study was published in Alcohol Research: Current Reviews.

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