Alcohol’s impact on the health and wellbeing of women in low- and middle-income countries: An integrative review

Abstract

In this commentary we describe alcohol’s impact on the health of women in low- and middle-income countries [LMICs]. Adding to an earlier rapid review (Laslett & Cook, 2019), we underline several ways in which alcohol adversely affects women’s health, wellbeing and safety in LMICs and highlight important research gaps across global regions. We recommend research and policy initiatives that will begin to address these deficits and seek to encourage discussion on whether different priorities for alcohol research, monitoring, policy and evaluation to those established for men (or the whole population, ignoring gender), and in higher income countries [HICs], should be established to ensure women’s wellbeing is maximised in LMIC.