title: Trends in alcohol-related deaths in the EU countries in 1980-2003.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore temporal trends since 1980 in alcohol-related death for people resident in the European Union (EU) and to examine differences between EU members admitted prior to 2004 and new EU members admitted since 2004.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data were extracted from the World Health Organization's European mortality database and the European Health for All database.
  
  
  RESULTS
  New EU members had higher rates of alcohol-related deaths (135.0 ± 18.48 vs 88.9 ± 18.93; t = -8.55 (d.f. = 46), p < .001) and higher death rates from alcohol abuse (whole population: 3.4 ± 1.24 vs 2.6 ± 0.12; t = -2.98 (d.f. = 23.45), p < .01; male population: 6.1 ± 2.17 vs 4.4 ± 0.19; t = -3.87 (d.f. = 23.35), p < .001) than early EU countries. However, a mortality gradient between groups of countries was visible only for female alcohol-related deaths when controlling for mortality rates from all causes. Multivariate regression analyses also indicated that alcohol-related deaths and alcohol consumption were associated negatively with the gross national product (GNP) of EU countries and positively with levels of urbanization.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alcohol-related deaths represent more than 10% of all EU mortality and confirm the importance of national prevention strategies for alcohol problems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Functions, Suicide Prevention Centre Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. innamorati.marco@libero.it
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Innamorati
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pompili
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Martinotti
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Serafini
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amore
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lester
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Girardi
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Janiri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology; D002423:Cause of Death / Q000639:trends; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005062:European Union / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health / Q000639:trends; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011157:Population Dynamics / Q000639:trends; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012931:Social Environment