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Does a Crossover Age Effect Exist for African American and Hispanic Binge Drinkers? Findings from the 2010 to 2013 National Study on Drug Use and Health
Author(s) -
Zapolski Tamika C.B.,
Baldwin Patrick,
Banks Devin E.,
Stump Timothy E.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/acer.13380
Subject(s) - binge drinking , demography , non hispanic whites , marital status , medicine , population , african american , ethnic group , young adult , gerontology , injury prevention , environmental health , poison control , mexican americans , sociology , ethnology , anthropology , history
Background Among general population studies, lower rates of binge drinking tend to be found among African Americans and Hispanics compared to Whites. However, among older adult populations, minority groups have been shown to be at higher risk for binge drinking, suggesting the presence of a crossover effect from low to high risk as a function of age. To date, limited research has examined the crossover effect among African American and Hispanic populations compared to non‐Hispanic Whites across large developmental time frames or explored variation in risk based on income or gender. This study aimed to fill these gaps in the literature. Methods Data were compiled from the 2010 to 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health surveys, which provide annual, nationally representative data on substance use behaviors among individuals aged 12 and older. Hispanic, non‐Hispanic African American, and non‐Hispanic White respondents were included ( N = 205,198) in the analyses. Results A crossover effect was found for African American males and females among the lowest income level (i.e., incomes less than $20,000). Specifically, after controlling for education and marital status, compared to Whites, risk for binge drinking was lower for African American males at ages 18 to 24 and for females at ages 18 to 34, but higher for both African American males and females at ages 50 to 64. No crossover effect was found for Hispanic respondents. Conclusions Although African Americans are generally at lower risk for binge drinking, risk appears to increase disproportionately with age among those who are impoverished. Explanatory factors, such as social determinants of health prevalent within low‐income African American communities (e.g., lower education, violence exposure, housing insecurity) and potential areas for intervention programming are discussed.