Age at first alcohol-related hospital separation or emergency department presentation and rate of re-admission: A retrospective data linkage cohort of young Australians

Introduction: Alcohol is a leading risk factor for death and disease in young people. We compare age-specific characteristics of young people who experience their first (‘index’) alcohol-related hospitalisation or emergency department (ED) presentation, and whether age at index predicts 12-month rates of readmission. Methods: We used a retrospective linked-data cohort of 10,300 people aged 12–20 years with an index alcohol-related hospital and/or ED record in New South Wales, Australia from 2005 to 2013. Age group (early adolescent [12–14 years], late adolescent [15–17 years], young adult [18–20 years]) and diagnosis fields were used in logistic regression analyses and to calculate incidence rates with adjustment for year of index event, sex, socioeconomic disadvantage and residence remoteness. Results: People who experienced their index event in early adolescence (adjusted relative risk ratio [ARRR] 0.45 [95% confidence interval 0.39, 0.52]) or late adolescence (ARRR 0.82 [0.74, 0.90]) were less likely to be male compared to young adults. Early adolescents (ARRR 0.60 [0.51, 0.70]) and late adolescents (ARRR 0.84 [0.76, 0.93]) were less likely to have a hospitalisation index event. Early adolescents (adjusted incidence rate ratio 1.40 [1.15, 1.71]) and late adolescents (adjusted incidence rate ratio 1.16 [1.01, 1.34]) were more likely than young adults to have a subsequent 12-month non-poisoning injury ED presentation. Discussion and Conclusions: We identified preventable hospital events in young people who have previously experienced an alcohol-related ED presentation or hospitalisation, with age-specific characteristics and outcomes that can be used to inform future health policy and service planning.