Trend of alcohol use disorder as a percentage of all-cause mortality in North America

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the trend of alcohol use disorder (AUD) mortality as a percentage of all-cause mortality in Canada and the United States (US) between 2000 and 2019, by age group. Results: Joinpoint regression showed that AUD mortality as a percentage of all-cause mortality significantly increased between 2000 and 2019 in both countries, and across all age groups (i.e., young adults (20–34 years), middle-aged adults (35–49 years), and older adults (50 + years)). The trend has been levelling off, and even reversing in some cases, in recent years. The average annual percentage change differed across countries and between age groups, with a greater increase among Canadian adults aged 35–49 years and among adults aged 50 + years in the US. Over the past two decades, AUD mortality as a percentage of all-cause mortality has been increasing among all adults in both Canada and the US.