Keywords
Beverage-specific alcohol sales; Gender difference; Life expectancy at birth; Russia; 1970-2015
Abstract
Background: The difference in life expectancy at birth between males and females in Russia is unprecedently high compared with developed countries.
Objective: The aim of the current study was to examine the aggregate-level relationship between the consumption of different alcoholic beverages and gender difference in life expectancy in Russia between 1970 and 2015.
Method: To estimate the relation between these variables across the study period a time series analysis was performed using the statistical package “Statistica 12. Stat Soft”.
Results: The results of ARIMA analysis indicate that vodka sales are closely linked with gender difference in life expectancy in Russia: an additional liter of vodka sales per capita was estimated to increase in the difference between male and female life expectancy by 4.1%. The results of the analysis also suggest that 18.5% of the difference in life expectancy between males and females in Russia could be attributed to consumption of vodka.
Conclusions: This piece of evidence provides support for the hypothesis that high level of vodka consumption in conjunction with binge drinking pattern may be a major reason for the high gender difference in life expectancy and its dramatic fluctuations in Russia during the last few decades
Citation
Razvodovsky YE. Beverage-Specific Alcohol Sales and Gender Difference in Life Expectancy in Russia. SM Addict Res Ther. 2017; 1(1): 1002s1.