The associations of factors with previous alcohol use in the Northern Territory compared to other states - an observational study

Background: Data on previous alcohol use in surgical patients who died in the Northern Territory (NT) are lacking and have important public health implications. Methods: The prevalence of previous alcohol (ab)use among surgical patients who died (n=560) was assessed in patients within the Northern Territory and the remainder of Australia (n=28,245) over nine years. Results: The likelihood of previous alcohol use (21.4%; 120 of 560), was the outcome measured and was higher in the Northern Territory than outside it (5.9%; 1,660 of 28,245). Factors associated with the outcome of previous alcohol use were: male gender (aOR 1.6); Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status (aOR 2.0); liver disease (aOR 7.8); comorbidities (aOR 2.5); and trauma (aOR 1.1), in both the Northern Territory (aOR 11.5) and all Australia (aOR 7.8). In the Northern Territory, alcohol use was high in both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (31%) and non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (16%) people (p=0.316). Conclusion: Of surgical patients who died, the likelihood of being a previous alcohol user was double in the Northern Territory as opposed to other states. Alcohol misuse is widespread across all groups in the Northern Territory. Implications for public health: Previous alcohol (ab)use is a negative factor for survival in any racial group.