Hazardous alcohol use and alcohol-related harm in rural and remote communities: a scoping review

Erik Loewen Friesen; Jacob Bailey; Sarah Hyett; Sina Sedighi; Mitchell Lennox de Snoo; Kenneth Williams; Rebecca Barry; Anders Erickson; Farid Foroutan; Peter Selby; Laura Rosella; Paul Kurdyak

doi:10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00159-6

Hazardous alcohol use and alcohol-related harm in rural and remote communities: a scoping review

Lancet Public Health. 2022 Feb;7(2):e177-e187. doi: 10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00159-6. Epub 2021 Nov 10.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada; ICES, Toronto, ON, Canada. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
³ Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
⁴ Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁵ Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
⁶ Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.
⁷ Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; ICES, Toronto, ON, Canada; Institute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga, ON, Canada.
⁸ Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada; ICES, Toronto, ON, Canada.

PMID: 34774200
DOI: 10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00159-6

Abstract

Alcohol use is a major risk factor for death and disease worldwide and alcohol-related harms appear to be more prevalent in rural and remote, relative to urban, communities. This Review synthesised international research on rural-urban disparities in hazardous and harmful alcohol use and risk factors for these outcomes within rural and remote communities. 280 studies from 49 countries were included in the Scoping Review. Most studies (60%) found rural, relative to urban, residence to be associated with an increased likelihood of hazardous alcohol use or alcohol-related harm. This proportion increased between 1990 and 2019 and varied by country, age group, and outcome type, being highest in Australia, among young adults, and for more severe alcohol-related harms, such as drink driving and alcohol-related suicide. Improved public health strategies to reduce the burden of alcohol use in rural communities are required but their efficacy will depend on how well they are tailored to the unique needs of the region they are implemented in.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Systematic Review

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Alcohol Drinking / adverse effects
Alcohol Drinking / epidemiology
Alcohol-Related Disorders / complications*
Alcohol-Related Disorders / epidemiology*
Child
Driving Under the Influence / statistics & numerical data
Global Health*
Humans
Middle Aged
Rural Population / statistics & numerical data*
Sociodemographic Factors
Suicide / statistics & numerical data
Young Adult