Are there gender differences in the geography of alcohol-related mortality in Scotland? An ecological study
2009

Gender Differences in Alcohol-Related Mortality in Scotland

Sample size: 8685 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Emslie Carol, Mitchell Richard

Primary Institution: MRC Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, Glasgow, UK

Hypothesis

Is the social environment that produces higher or lower rates of alcohol-related mortality the same for both men and women across Scotland?

Conclusion

The relationship between social and economic environment and alcohol-related harm is very similar for men and women, with only a few areas showing significant differences.

Supporting Evidence

  • Men's alcohol-related mortality rate was significantly higher than women's.
  • Areas with high alcohol-related mortality for men also tended to have high rates for women.
  • Only 8 out of 144 areas showed a significantly different relationship between men's and women's mortality rates.

Takeaway

This study looked at how men and women die from alcohol-related causes in different places in Scotland. It found that where men have high death rates from alcohol, women usually do too.

Methodology

Cross-sectional, ecological design using maps, Moran's Index, linear regression, and spatial analyses of residuals.

Potential Biases

The use of census tracts may mask important variation at finer spatial scales.

Limitations

The study only included deaths with complete geographical registration and did not explore age, gender, and spatial patterning relationships.

Participant Demographics

The study analyzed alcohol-related deaths among men and women in Scotland from 2000 to 2005.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.001

Confidence Interval

95% confidence interval around regression estimates

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2458-9-58

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