Risk of violence-related injury from alcohol consumption and its burden to society in Latin America and the Caribbean

OBJECTIVES: The risk for violence-related injury from drinking and attributable burden in the Latin American and Caribbean region was explored. METHODS: A probability sample of 1024 emergency department patients reporting a violence-related injury was analyzed from 11 countries, using case-crossover fractional polynomial analysis of the number of drinks consumed prior to the event. RESULTS: A dose-response relationship was observed with a six-fold increase in risk (RR=5.6) for less than two drinks prior to injury. Risk was higher for females than males at 10 or more drinks, and higher for those aged 30 and older compared to those younger at all volume levels. Overall, 32.7% of the violence-related injuries were attributable to alcohol. Alcohol attributable fraction (AAF) was nearly three times larger for males (38%) than for females (12.3%). CONCLUSIONS: A dose-response relationship was found between the volume of alcohol consumed prior to the event and risk of violence-related injury. Risk was not uniform across gender or age. At higher volumes, females compared to males were at greater risk of injury but had a lower AAF due to their lower prevalence of drinking at higher levels.