Awareness of the Link between Alcohol Consumption and Cancer across the World: A Review.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Systematic review of observational survey studies
PubMed 29615419 · doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-17-0645
What was done
Systematic review conducted according to PRISMA guidelines analyzing 32 studies across 16 countries that assessed lay public awareness of alcohol consumption as a risk factor for cancer.
What was found
No quantitative percentages or figures are reported in the abstract. Public awareness was reported as generally low and varied by country, with relatively higher awareness in the United Kingdom, Morocco, and Australia. Awareness was higher when measured via prompted lists rather than open-ended recall.
Why it matters
Despite alcohol being classified as a Group 1 carcinogen responsible for preventable cancers, global lay awareness remains deficient, highlighting a target for public health interventions such as product warning labels and physician communication.
Limits
The abstract reports no numerical data, point estimates, or confidence intervals. Marked methodological differences in assessment tools restricted direct cross-country comparisons, and coverage was limited to 16 countries.
Cited by
- supports Alcohol consumption increases the risk of breast cancer and is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen.