Abstract
Background: Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) poses a significant health burden on individuals. The burden occurs more frequently in the medically underserved, as well as racial and sexual minority populations. Ameliorating health inequities is vital to improving patient-centered care. Objectives: The objective of this scoping review is to chart the existing evidence on health inequities related to AUD and identify existing knowledge gaps to guide future equity-centered research.
Methods: We performed a literature search using the Ovid (Embase) and MEDLINE (PubMed) databases for articles on AUD that were published in the 5-year period spanning from 2017 to 2021 and written in English. The frequencies of each health inequity examined were analyzed, and findings from each included study were summarized.
Results: Our sample consisted of 55 studies for analysis. The most common inequity examined was by race/ethnicity followed by sex or gender. The least reported inequities examined were rural under-resourced areas and occupational status. Our findings indicate that significant research gaps exist in education, rural under-resourced populations, and LGBTQ+ communities with AUD. Conclusions: This scoping review highlights the gaps in research on inequities in AUD. To bridge the current gaps, we recommend research on the following: 1) triage screening tools and the use of telemedicine for rural, under-resourced populations; 2) interventions to increase treatment engagement and retention for women; and 3) community-based participatory methodologies for the LGBTQ+ communities.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 27-41 |
Number of pages | 15 |
Journal | American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse |
Volume | 50 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 31 Jan 2024 |
Keywords
- AUD
- alcohol use disorder
- scoping review