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Alcohol-Related Causes of Death and Drinking Patterns in Moldova as Compared to Russia and Ukraine

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Abstract

Most studies dedicated to alcohol-related mortality in the former USSR countries explore the situation primarily in Russia and Belarus, while somewhat less so in Ukraine. In these countries, the consumption of spirits is one of the main contributors to a huge decline in adult health since the mid-60s, especially among males. Moldova, also an ex-Soviet country, is quite different in that their drinking habits are much closer to those of the Mediterranean drinking culture, although they are still like Russia and Ukraine in that their level of alcohol consumption is among the highest in the world while life expectancy at birth is one of the lowest among developed countries. This study provides a descriptive analysis of the changes in alcohol-related mortality trends and drinking patterns in Moldova as compared to Ukraine and Russia, both during the Soviet period and after Independence. We found that accidental poisoning by alcohol in Moldova is of minor importance in contrast to Russia and Ukraine, whereas very high liver cirrhosis mortality without a traditional sex gap is a peculiar feature of the Moldovan mortality pattern. Furthermore, the burden of liver cirrhosis accounts for much lower Moldovan female life expectancy compared to their Russian or Ukrainian counterparts. We attempt to explain this phenomenon by hypothesizing the existence of harmful drinking habits of homemade wine consumption in Moldova, which seems to affect males and females equally. In Moldova, the anti-alcohol policies must include the measures aimed at reducing the consumption of homemade wine.

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Notes

  1. ‘mln dal’: million decalitres (1 decalitre is equal to ten litres).

  2. Based on the retail trade turnover and average price (in Moldovan currency, LEI), the number of bottles by type of alcoholic beverage was estimated first. The figures were then converted into litres of alcohol consumed (the bottle volume for wine and sparkling wine is 0.75 l; for beer 0.5 l and for vodka, liquor and cognac 0.7 l (Expert Group 2008) and finally into units of pure alcohol by taking into account the above-mentioned coefficients. It is possible to make comparisons between Moldova, Ukraine and Russia when taking into account only alcoholic beverages sold through the retail trade network.

  3. http://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.main.GISAH?lang=en.

  4. http://www.euro.who.int/en/countries/republic-of-moldova/news/news/2014/02/with-a-sober-mind!-alcohol-awareness-campaign-launched-in-the-republic-of-moldova.

  5. WHO estimates of recorded alcohol consumption for Moldova and Ukraine are based on the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN and, additionally for Ukraine, the WHO Global Survey on Alcohol and Health 2012. For Russia, WHO estimates are based on World Drink Trends and official sales data (WHO 2016b).

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Project AXA Mortality Divergence and Causes of Death and Project ANR-12-FRAL-0003-01 DIMOCHA. The author would like to express her deepest gratitude to France Meslé and Jacques Vallin, as well as the three anonymous referees, for the valuable assistance they provided throughout the writing of this article.

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  1. Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Chisinau, Moldova

    Olga Penina

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Penina, O. Alcohol-Related Causes of Death and Drinking Patterns in Moldova as Compared to Russia and Ukraine. Eur J Population 33, 679–700 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10680-017-9450-4

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