Background: Violence against women has been linked to alcohol disorders in various populations. Few studies have assessed alcohol disorders among assaulted women in a general population of Mexican Americans. This study examined alcohol disorders among Mexican American women who reported physical or sexual assault. Methods: Participants were women (N=1,516) living in Fresno County, California enrolled in a population-based, randomized household survey of 3,012 Mexican-origin men and women, ages 18-59. Crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were calculated for alcohol dependence/abuse (ADA) and physical or sexual assault by a current partner or someone other than a current partner. Results: Women reporting physical or sexual assault by any perpetrator were significantly more likely to meet criteria for ADA, (OR=8.2, 95% CI, 4.4-15.4). After adjusting for birthplace, age, income, and parental problem drinking, women were still 4.7 times more likely to meet criteria for ADA, (CI, 2.1-10.4). Physical or sexual assault by someone other than a partner was more strongly associated with ADA (OR=8.7, CI 4.5-16.9) than assault by a current partner, (OR=3.2, CI 1.3-7.6). Both physical (OR=9.0, CI 4.7-17.0) and sexual assault (OR=4.7, CI 2.2-10.0) by either type of perpetrator was associated with ADA. Conclusion: There is a strong association between reporting violence and having a lifetime history of ADA. While temporal order could not be established, these findings highlight the importance of screening for physical and sexual assault in settings that treat alcohol disorders, as well as screening for alcohol disorders among women seeking services related to previous or current violence.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation participants should be able to identify the prevalence of physical and sexual assault among Mexican American women, describe the association between violent victimization and alcohol dependence or abuse (ADA) and recognize other predictors for ADA among this population
Keywords: Domestic Violence, Alcoholism
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.