Cross-sectional study on the characteristics of unrecorded alcohol consumption in nine newly independent states between 2013 and 2017
Ivo Rakovac,
Jakob Manthey,
Jürgen Rehm,
Charlotte Probst,
Carina Ferreira-Borges,
Maria Neufeld,
Diana Andreasyan,
Lela Sturua,
Irina Novik,
Gahraman Hagverdiyev,
Galina Obreja,
Nurila Altymysheva,
Muhammet Ergeshov,
Shukhrat Shukrov,
Safar Saifuddinov
Affiliations
Ivo Rakovac
WHO European Office for Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases, World Health Organization, Moscow, Russian Federation
Jakob Manthey
Centre of Interdisciplinary Addiction Research of Hamburg University, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
Jürgen Rehm
Department of International Health Projects, Institute for Leadership and Health Management, IM Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russian Federation
Charlotte Probst
Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Carina Ferreira-Borges
WHO European Office for Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases, World Health Organization, Moscow, Russian Federation
Maria Neufeld
Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
Diana Andreasyan
4 National Institute of Health/National Health Information Analytic Center, Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia, Yerevan, Armenia
Lela Sturua
National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Tbilisi, Georgia
Irina Novik
Republican Scientific And Practical Center For Medical Technologies, Minsk, Belarus
Gahraman Hagverdiyev
Public Health and Reforms Center, Ministry of Health, Baku, Azerbaijan
Galina Obreja
Department of Social Medicine and Management, Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Chisinau, Moldova (the Republic of)
Nurila Altymysheva
Republican Health Promotion Center, Ministry of Health, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Muhammet Ergeshov
Department of Treatment and Prevention, Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
Shukhrat Shukrov
Central Project Implementation Bureau of the Health-3 Project, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Safar Saifuddinov
Republic of Tajikistan Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population, Dushanbe, Tajikistan
Objectives As unrecorded alcohol use contributes to a substantial burden of disease, this study characterises this phenomenon in newly independent states (NIS) of the former Soviet Union with regard to the sources of unrecorded alcohol, and the proportion of unrecorded of total alcohol consumption. We also investigate associated sociodemographic characteristics and drinking patterns.Design Cross-sectional data on overall and unrecorded alcohol use in the past 7 days from WHO STEPwise Approach to NCD Risk Factor Surveillance (STEPS) surveys. Descriptive statistics were calculated at the country level, hierarchical logistic and linear regression models were used to investigate sociodemographic characteristics and drinking patterns associated with using unrecorded alcohol.Setting Nine NIS (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) in the years 2013–2017.Participants Nationally representative samples including a total of 36 259 participants.Results A total of 6251 participants (19.7%; 95% CI 7.9% to 31.5%) reported alcohol consumption in the past 7 days, 2185 of which (35.1%; 95% CI 8.2% to 62.0%) reported unrecorded alcohol consumption with pronounced differences between countries. The population-weighted average proportion of unrecorded consumption in nine NIS was 8.7% (95% CI 5.9% to 12.4%). The most common type of unrecorded alcohol was home-made spirits, followed by home-made beer and wine. Older (45–69 vs 25–44 years) and unemployed (vs employed) participants had higher odds of using unrecorded alcohol. More nuanced sociodemographic differences were observed for specific types of unrecorded alcohol.Conclusions This contribution is the first to highlight both, prevalence and composition of unrecorded alcohol consumption in nine NIS. The observed proportions and sources of unrecorded alcohol are discussed in light of local challenges in policy implementation, especially in regard to the newly formed Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), as some but not all NIS are in the EAEU.
