title: Towards a direct definition of an alcohol-related death: an analysis in Aboriginal adults.
abstract: This paper addresses the conceptual and methodological difficulties in obtaining reliable information on alcohol-related mortality in Aboriginal communities. A working definition is proposed; this requires an alcohol-positive history together with a consistent mode of death, and is applied retrospectively to a series of 29 adult deaths in a large Aboriginal community. An informant history of alcohol abuse was found to be the most sensitive indicator of an alcohol-positive history and correlated well with autopsy findings and medical records. Alcohol-positive histories were found for 17 of 29 deaths by informant history, for 9 of 29 by autopsy findings, and for 12 of 29 by medical record review. These indicators were combined with a mode of death categorisation to arrive at an estimate of 5 of 29 definite, 5 of 29 probable, and 1 of 29 possible alcohol-related deaths. We conclude by examining the process by which such a definition might be further developed and the context in which resulting information might then be used.
authors.affiliation: Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, Casuarina, NT.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Weeramanthri
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: D'Abbs
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Mathews
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality*; D001315:Australia; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male