Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42893797›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of epidemiology2026

Health risks of alcohol consumption in Aotearoa New Zealand: modelling to inform low-risk-drinking guidelines.

Anja Mizdrak, Adam Sherk, Kristen Maynard, Tim Chambers

Abstract read
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Article in International journal of epidemiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Anja MizdrakDepartment of Public Health, University of Otago (Wellington), Wellington, New Zealand.ORCID 0000-0002-2897-3002
Adam SherkCanadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, Ottawa, Canada.
Kristen MaynardRongowhakaata, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa, Ruapani, Tūranganui-a-Kiwa, New Zealand.
Tim ChambersNgāi Tahu Research Centre, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.ORCID 0000-0001-5856-5600

Funding

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu OraHealth New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora as part of the review of the LRDG programme
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe present study aimed to estimate the alcohol-attributable mortality in Aotearoa New Zealand (Aotearoa) at varying levels of alcohol consumption to help inform low-risk-drinking guidelines (LRDGs) in Aotearoa.

methodsWe used the New Zealand Alcohol Intervention Model-a multi-state life-table model parameterized with Aotearoa-specific alcohol and epidemiological data-to estimate the health risks associated with a daily alcohol intake of 0-100 g/day. We modelled a cohort of 12-year-olds for their life course, with exposure and disease rates fixed to 2018 levels. We used relative risk (RR) libraries developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD). The primary output was years of life lost (YLL), with 17.5 YLL used as a proxy for alcohol-related death, at lifetime-risk thresholds of 1-in-100 and 1-in-1000.

resultsWhen the WHO RR library was used, males reached a 1-in-100 risk of alcohol-attributable death at 8.6 standard drinks (SDs, 10 g of ethanol) [95% uncertainty interval (UI) 3.1-12.0] per week, while females reach this threshold at 9.2 SDs (95% UI 3.7-12.4). The removal of health conditions receiving a one-star evidence rating from the GBD substantially reduced the number of SDs to 2.7 (95% UI 2.1-4.6) for males and 3.5 (95% UI 2.9-4.4) for females. Across all analyses, use of the GBD RR library led to more permissive results. Ethnicity-specific results showed that Māori breach the risk thresholds at lower levels of consumption than non-Māori.

conclusionOur modelling demonstrates that the Aotearoa LRDGs are outdated and need updating to reflect contemporary understandings of the harms associated with alcohol use.

Indexed as

Alcohol DrinkingAlcohol-Related DisordersAdolescentAdultAgedChildFemaleHumansLife TablesMaleMaori PeopleMiddle AgedNew ZealandRisk FactorsYoung Adultalcohollow-risk-drinking guidelinesmodellingNew Zealand Aotearoa

Identifiers

PMID42893797
PMCPMC13677155

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.