This article was published as part of a special issue in the International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research on “Alcohol Prevention Research and Policy Development in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.” FORUT and Movendi supported the publication of articles by authors from low- and middle-income countries.
In an integrative review commissioned by FORUT, Laslett & colleagues focused on the impact of alcohol on women’s health in low- and middle-income countries and highlighted gaps across regions. Their findings suggest that socio-economic factors affect both women’s own drinking and men’s drinking and the harm on women’s health, not only in terms of deaths, but also in terms of the burden of non-communicable diseases, sexually transmitted infections, violent intentional and unintentional injuries, mental health disorders, gender-based violence, intimate partner violence and sexual violence. Laslett and colleagues also emphasized the limitations of current burden of disease estimates, especially on the harms on women’s health from other’s drinking, as well as policymakers’ neglect of alcohol harms on women in low- and middle-income countries. They noted that policies that reducing overall alcohol consumption among men and women can contribute positively to women’s health and well-being.
Laslett and colleagues called for alcohol research, monitoring, policy and evaluation focused on alcohol harms to others, particularly on the harms experienced by women and children and tailored to women in low- and middle-income countries. Finally, they called for decolonizing alcohol research, not only by increasing studies done in and by researchers from low- and middle-income countries and for policies that will limit industry interference and industry expansion and marketing in low- and middle-income countries.
Authors: Anne-Marie Laslett, Megan Cook, Leane Ramsoomar, Neo Morojele, Orratai Waleewong
Publisher: International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research
Year of Publication: 2024
Recommended citation: Laslett AM, Cook M, Ramsoomar L, Morojele N, & Waleewong O. (2024). Alcohol’s impact on the health and wellbeing of women in low- and middle-income countries: An integrative review. International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research.
Read full article: https://doi.org/10.7895/ijadr.471