Trends in alcohol-related harm among Swedish youth: Do in-patient care registry data match drinking trends?

Introduction: Youth drinking has been declining in Sweden since the year 2000. There is a paucity of studies examining trends in alcohol-related harm during this period. The overall aim of the present study is to examine how trends in alcohol-related harm match trends in drinking among Swedish youths during 2000–2021. Methods: Measures of alcohol use were obtained from national school surveys. Prevalence rates of any alcohol use and heavy episodic drinking were used. Alcohol-related harm indicators were obtained from registry information from the National Board of Health and Welfare. Annual trends in harm indicators were tested with linear regression models and correlations between alcohol use and alcohol-related harm indicators were assessed using Pearson's correlation on annual data. Results: Statistically significant negative trends were observed for all alcohol-related harm indicators for the period 2000–2021. Significant correlations were found for both measures of alcohol use and all alcohol-related harm indicators. Discussion and Conclusions: The levels of alcohol-related harm have declined among youths in Sweden during the period 2000–2021. The trends in harm seem to reflect the decline in youth drinking that has occurred during the same period.