Sex and age differences in alcohol-attributable mortality in Chile between 2008 and 2022.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze trends in alcohol-attributable mortality in Chile from 2008 to 2022 by sex, age, and cause of death.

STUDY

DESIGN

Secondary analysis of repeated cross-sectional and administrative data.

METHODS

We estimated alcohol-attributable fractions (AAFs) via relative risk functions from published meta-analyses and alcohol consumption data from repeated cross-sectional national drug surveys. Individual deaths were retrieved from official national mortality statistics coded according to the International Classification of Diseases, tenth revision. Uncertainty estimates were generated via Monte Carlo simulations.

RESULTS

In 2008, 14.6% (95% CI: 10.9%, 18.4%) of all deaths were attributable to alcohol, decreasing to 9.6% (95% CI: 7.2%, 12.2%) in 2022. Liver cirrhosis, injuries, and cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of alcohol-attributable mortality. Males experienced significantly higher mortality rates than women (at least 6 percentage points over the entire period), with injuries being the leading cause among younger people, liver cirrhosis for middle-aged people, and cardiovascular diseases among older people. Among females, liver cirrhosis and cardiovascular diseases were the primary contributors.

CONCLUSIONS

Alcohol-attributable mortality in Chile declined between 2008 and 2012 and remained relatively stable thereafter, with persistent disparities across sex and age groups. The results suggest that high-risk drinking patterns continue to play an important role in alcohol-related harm, particularly in younger populations where injuries account for a substantial share of deaths.