Objectives. The purpose of this study is to investigate the problem drinking patterns and their relationships with other risk behaviors among the Asian American population.
Methods. 2,018 Asian Americans were selected from the 1995 survey of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), an annual nationwide risk behavioral telephone survey for the noninstitutionalized American adult population. Problem drinking behaviors, smoking status, and other health behaviors like wearing a seatbelt, regular health checkups and home smoke detector installation, are investigated in this study. Loglinear model, odds ratio, and likelihood ratio Chi-square are used to analyze their relationships.
Results. The prevalences of smoking, binge drinking, chronic drinking, and drinking and driving among study population are 15.5%, 10.2%, 2.4% and 1.9%, respectively. Controlling for other factors, binge drinking is correlated with 5 out of 6 other risk behaviors. Compared to non-binge counterparts, binge drinkers are 24.63 times (95% confidence interval: 11.81-51.38) more likely to engage in drinking and driving. The odds ratio for binge drinkers to become chronic drinkers is 71.36 (27.88-182.72), and to become smokers is 3.56 (2.54-5.00), respectively. Binge drinkers also shows higher likelihood of not having regular health checkups and not wearing a seatbelt all the time.
Conclusions. Asians Americans have a lower prevalence rate for tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking than do Caucasians. However, it is found that their binge-drinking behavior has a unique feature. Based on its high correlation with other risk behaviors, binge drinking can be considered the key targeted risk behavior for Asian Americans.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this presentation, the participants will be able to: 1. Apply Loglinear model to analyze the relationships among risk behaviors. 2. Describe the problem drinking patterns among Asian Americans. 3. Identify the key targeted risk behaviors among Asian Americans
Keywords: Asian Americans, Binge Drinking
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
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.