Alcohol consumption as a phenomenon in Lithuania: a narrative synthesis

ENThis article presents the context of the alcohol consumption phenomenon in Lithuania during its fi rst 30 years of independence. This context is revealed through a narrative synthesis of scientifi c articles analyzing alcohol consumption in various aspects. EBSCO, Science Direct, Wiley Online, and PubMed were searched using the key words "alcohol" and "Lithuania". Studies were included if they met the selection criteria: full-text English articles with a Lithuanian author or coauthor and evaluating Lithuanian samples with at least some aspect of alcohol consumption. To analyze phenomena development patterns, a literature search was done in three time periods by decade from 1990 to 2019. As a result, 6,250 titles were screened, and 69 were selected for narrative synthesis. We summarized the main emerging themes regarding a particular time period and highlighted the main sociocultural aspects regarding alcohol consumption. Context analysis of alcohol as a phenomenon in Lithuania can contribute to future policymaking, as it provides the ability to relate the fi eld of alcohol consumption research with the state’s implementation of knowledge through a timeline overview and synthesis of this topic. Key words: alcohol consumption, health, Lithuania, narrative synthesis. [From the publication]