CONTRIBUTION OF DEATHS RELATED TO ALCOHOL-USE TO SOCIOECONOMIC VARIATION IN MORTALITY - REGISTER-BASED FOLLOW-UP-STUDY

Objective: To estimate the contribution of excessive alcohol use to so cioeconomic variation in mortality among men and women in Finland. Des ign: Register based follow up study. Subjects: The population covered by the 1985 and 1990 censuses, aged greater than or equal to 20 in the follow up period 1987-93. Main outcome measures: Total mortality and alcohol related mortality from all causes, from diseases, and from acc idents and violence according to socioeconomic position. The excess mo rtality among other classes compared with upper non-manual employees a nd differences in life expectancy between the classes were used to mea sure mortality differentials. Results: Alcohol related mortality const ituted 11% of all mortality among men aged greater than or equal to 20 and 2% among women and was higher among manual workers than among oth er classes. It accounted for 14% of the excess all cause mortality amo ng manual workers over upper non-manual employees among men and 4% amo ng women and for 24% and 9% of the differences in life expectancy, res pectively. Half of the excess mortality from accidents and violence am ong mate manual workers and 38% among female manual workers was accoun ted for by alcohol related deaths, whereas in diseases the role of alc ohol was modest. The contribution of alcohol related deaths to relativ e mortality differentials weakened with age. Conclusions: Class differ entials in alcohol related mortality are an important factor in the so cioeconomic mortality differentials in Finland, especially among men, among younger age groups, and in mortality from accidents and violence .