Burden of alcohol drinking in Thailand, 2021: Findings from a nationwide estimation using alcohol-attributable fractions

Abstract

Alcohol is a significant risk factor that contributes to considerable mortality and morbidity, impacting overall public health. This study aims to estimate the burden of alcohol consumption in Thailand for the year 2021. Alcohol-attributable fractions by gender were employed using both direct and indirect methods to estimate the number of patients, deaths, and years of life lost (YLLs) attributable to alcohol use. Mortality and morbidity data were retrieved from national health statistic databases. The analysis included patients receiving treatment from both outpatient department (OPD) and inpatient department (IPD). Alcohol-attributable YLLs were estimated based on age-specific year expected to live. In 2021, the total number of alcohol-related outpatient visits was 1,330,095, with 1,261,285 for males and 68,810 for females. Additionally, there were 848,414 inpatient days linked to alcohol, with 766,687 for males and 81,727 for females. In males, hypertensive heart disease contributed to the largest number of OPD patients (231,612), while alcohol use disorders (AUDs) were the leading cause among IPD patients (42,456). In females, AUDs ranked first for both OPD and IPD, accounted for 10,430 and 4,644 patients, respectively. Overall, alcohol consumption led to 22,805 deaths and contributed to 666,393 YLLs. Road injuries were the primary cause of alcohol-related deaths for both men and women, contributing to 4,071 deaths among males and 1,182 deaths among females, leading to 156,708 YLLs for men and 46,826 YLLs for women. These findings highlight the critical need for strengthened alcohol control measures, including gender-sensitive interventions, stricter enforcement of drink-driving laws, and public health campaigns aimed at reducing alcohol consumption.