Alcohol as a factor of gender gap in all-cause mortality in Russia

Objective: In present study we will test the hypothesis of the close aggregate level link between alcohol consumption and gender gap in all-cause mortality rates in Russia using data on sex-specific mortality rates and alcohol consumption per capita between 1980 and 2010. Method: Time-series analytical modeling techniques (ARIMA) are used to examine the relation between the gender gap in all-cause mortality and trends in alcohol consumption per capita. Results: According to the results of time-series analysis, alcohol consumption is a statistically significant factor associated with gender gap in all-cause mortality in Russia. The results of the analysis also suggest that alcohol-attributable portion of gender gap ranges from 47.2% (60-74 age group) to 72.3% (30-44 age group). Conclusions: The outcomes of this study provide indirect support for the hypothesis that alcohol is a major contributor to the high gender gap in all-cause mortality and its dramatic fluctuations in Russia during the last few decades.