Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27797998›Full record

SynthesisBMJ open2016

Birth cohort trends in the global epidemiology of alcohol use and alcohol-related harms in men and women: systematic review and metaregression.

Tim Slade, Cath Chapman, Wendy Swift, Katherine Keyes, Zoe Tonks, Maree Teesson

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMJ open, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 211 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
211citing papers in PubMed, 7 pooled it
36.2field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

211 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 443 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  4. Baclofen for alcohol use disorder.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2023
    Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Effectiveness of brief alcohol interventions in primary care populations.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2018
    Pooled it
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  8. Trial
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  12. Article
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  15. Comment on global trends in the burden and quality of care for upper gastrointestinal diseases, 1990-2021.Saudi journal of gastroenterology : official journal of the Saudi Gastroenterology Association · 2026
    Article
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  19. Alcohol and Cancer Messaging: A Scoping Review.Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · 2026
    Article
  20. Article

151 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Tim SladeNHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia.
Cath ChapmanNHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia.
Wendy SwiftNHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia.
Katherine KeyesColumbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York, USA.
Zoe TonksNHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia.
Maree TeessonNHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia.
UNSW Sydney · AUColumbia University · USNational Health and Medical Research Council · AU

Funding

Race, alcohol consumption and vehicle crashes: an epidemiologic paradoxK01AA021511 · NIAAA · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · PI KEYES, KATHERINE M. · 2013 to 2017
$904k
NIAAA NIH HHS K01 AA021511
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveHistorically, alcohol use and related harms are more prevalent in men than in women. However, emerging evidence suggests the epidemiology of alcohol use is changing in younger cohorts. The current study aimed to systematically summarise published literature on birth cohort changes in male-to-female ratios in indicators of alcohol use and related harms.

methodsWe identified 68 studies that met inclusion criteria. We calculated male-to-female ratios for 3 broad categories of alcohol use and harms (any alcohol use, problematic alcohol use and alcohol-related harms) stratified by 5-year birth cohorts ranging from 1891 to 2001, generating 1568 sex ratios. Random-effects meta-analyses produced pooled sex ratios within these 3 categories separately for each birth cohort.

findingsThere was a linear decrease over time in the sex ratio for all 3 categories of alcohol use and related harms. Among those born in the early 1900s, males were 2.2 (95% CI 1.9 to 2.5) times more likely than females to consume alcohol, 3.0 (95% CI 1.5 to 6.0) times more likely to drink alcohol in ways suggestive of problematic use and 3.6 (95% CI 0.4 to 30.3) times more likely to experience alcohol-related harms. Among cohorts born in the late 1900s, males were 1.1 (95% CI 1.1 to 1.2) times more likely than females to consume alcohol, 1.2 (95% CI 1.1 to 1.4) times more likely to drink alcohol in ways suggestive of problematic use and 1.3 (95% CI 1.2 to 1.3) times more likely to experience alcohol-related harms.

conclusionsFindings confirm the closing male-female gap in indicators of alcohol use and related harms. The closing male-female gap is most evident among young adults, highlighting the importance of prospectively tracking young male and female cohorts as they age into their 30s, 40s and beyond.

Indexed as

Age DistributionSex DistributionAdolescentAdultAlcohol DrinkingAlcoholismChildEthanolFemaleGlobal HealthHumansMaleYoung AdultEthanolalcoholfemalesmalessex differences

Identifiers

PMID27797998
PMCPMC5093369
OpenAlexW2532008737

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.