This cross-sectional study analyzed alcohol-related behaviors among 297 students attending the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), a large university located on the US/Mexico border. Students enrolled in a mandatory Introductory History course completed a self-administered survey in the Fall of 1999. Rates of alcohol consumption as well as risk factors for alcohol abuse, behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge of respondents were obtained. Participants demonstrated elevated rates of current alcohol consumption (72%), binge drinking (45.5%), chronic alcohol risk (15.2%), drinking and driving (34.9%), and riding with a driver who had been drinking (56.%) when compared to national, state, and local rates for college students. Caucasians, residents of the college dormitory, and males had the highest rates of alcohol consumption and alcohol-related behaviors. The strongest correlation with current alcohol use was past alcohol use. Alcohol use during high school was associated with elevated rates of current alcohol use, binge drinking, chronic alcohol risk, riding in a car with a driver who had been drinking, drinking and driving, and drinking in Mexico, with Odds Ratios from 2.61 to 6.97. Furthermore, 74.3% of current drinkers admitted to drinking in Mexico, with the most commonly reported reason (50%) being the lower age limit for alcohol consumption. Students living on the US-Mexico border are at elevated risk for alcohol-related problems due to their close proximity to an area with a lower age limit which may promote early alcohol consumption.
Learning Objectives: Participants will gain an increased understanding of factors associated with alcohol use among university students living on the US/Mexico border.
Keywords: Alcohol Use, Adolescents
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.