Recorded presentation

E. Anne Lown, DrPH¹, Guilherme Borges, ScD², Thomas K. Greenfield, PhD³, Jason Bond, PhD³, Marie Elena Medina-Mora², and Marjorie J. Robertson, PhD⁴. (1) Alcohol Research Group, UC Berkeley, School of Public Health, 2000 Hearst Street, Suite 300, Berkeley, CA 94709, (510) 642-5208, alown@arg.org, (2) National Institute of Psychiatry, Calzada Mexico Xochimilco No. 101, Col. San Lorenzo Huipulco C.P. 10610, Mexcio DF, Mexico, (3) Alcohol Research Group, 2000 Hearst Avenue, Suite 300, Berkeley, CA 94709, (4) Alcohol Research Group, Public Health Institute, 2000 Hearst Ave., Suite 300, Berkeley, CA 94709

Objective: To examine differences in alcohol related problems among Mexicans (living in Mexico) compared to Mexicans (of low and high acculturation) living in the United States. Analyses examine (1) whether high acculturation is associated with more alcohol problems and (2) differences among men and women. Methods: This analysis utilizes data from two data sets; a Mexican national drug and alcohol prevalence survey Encuesta Nacional de Adicciones, (ENA) 1998, (N=5,712) and Mexican origin participants living in the United States from two National Alcohol Surveys (NAS) (N=1,542). All participants were adults, aged 18 to 65. Many NAS questions were used on the ENA facilitating comparability. Results: In bivariate analyses, Mexican origin women of high acculturation showed increased risk for having 2+ alcohol problems (4%) compared to women living in Mexico (1.3%) or low acculturation women (1.7, p=.001) living in the US. For men, living in Mexico was a risk factor compared to men living in the US. Multivariate analyses confirmed increased odds of having alcohol problems for men living in Mexico, (OR=1.6; 95% CI, 1.1-2.3) even when controlling for drinking volume. For women in multivariate analyses increased drinking volume predicted alcohol problems but not higher acculturation. Conclusions: Living in Mexico was associated with more alcohol problems for men, but residence/acculturation status was not a significant predictor for women. Given the same volume of drinking, women were no more likely to have problems in the U.S., despite the different context.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of the presentation participants should be able to identify risk factors for alcohol problems in Mexican and Mexican Americans and describe differences by acculturation and gender.

Keywords: Alcohol Problems, Hispanic

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation