National and regional prevalence of interpersonal violence from others’ alcohol use: a systematic review and modelling studyResearch in context

Abstract

Summary: Background: While alcohol use is an established risk factor for interpersonal violence, the extent to which people are affected by interpersonal violence from others’ drinking has not yet been quantified for different world regions. This modelling study aims to provide the first estimates of the national and regional prevalence of interpersonal violence from others’ drinking. Methods: An international systematic literature search (02/28/2023, Prospero: CRD42022337364) was conducted to identify general adult population studies assessing the prevalence of interpersonal violence from others’ drinking with no restrictions to publication date or language. Reports that did not provide data on interpersonal violence from others’ drinking (primary outcome), were no original research studies, or captured a selected group of people only, were excluded. Observed prevalence data were extracted and used to build fractional response regression models to predict past-year prevalence of emotional and physical violence from others’ drinking in 2019. Random-effects meta-regression models were used to aggregate the observed prevalence of sexual and intimate partner violence. Study risk of bias (ROB) was assessed using a modified version of the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Findings: Out of 13,835 identified reports, 50 were included covering just under 830,000 individuals (women: 347,112; men: 322,331; men/women combined: 160,057) from 61 countries. With an average prevalence of 16·8% (95% CI: 15·2–18·3%) and 28·3% (95% CI: 23·9–32·4%) in men and women combined in the GBD super regions High Income and Central Europe, Eastern Europe, & Central Asia, respectively, emotional violence was the most common form of interpersonal violence from others’ drinking. Physical violence averaged around 3% (women) and 5% (men) in both regions. The pooled prevalence of sexual violence from others’ drinking in men and women was 1·3% (95% CI: 0·5–3·3%, 95% PI: 0·1–16·9%) and 3·4% (95% CI: 1·4–8·3%, 95% PI: 0·2–35·3%), respectively, and ranged between 0·4% (95% CI: 0·1–1·6%, 95% PI: 0·0–7·3%) and 2·7% (95% CI: 1·1–6·3%, 95% PI: 0·2–30·0%) for different forms of intimate partner violence. ROB was moderate or critical for most reports; accounting for critical ROB did not substantially alter our results. Interpretation: The share of the population experiencing harms from others’ drinking is significant and should be an integral part of public health strategies. Funding: Research reported in this publication was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR; grant: CIHR FRN 477887).

Keywords

• Alcohol consumption
• Interpersonal violence
• Intimate partner violence
• Alcohol’s harm to others
• Public health