218556 How the social context can explain racial disparities in alcohol use

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Ruth G. Fesahazion, BSHS , Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Caryn Bell, BS , Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Natieka Green , Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Roland J. Thorpe, PhD , Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Thomas A. LaVeist, PhD , Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Background: National estimates of race differences in alcohol use suggest that non-Hispanic whites are more likely to be current drinkers; however, African Americans suffer a greater burden of alcohol-related problems. Findings from national studies fail to account for the social and environmental risk exposures resulting from residential segregation. Thus, little is known about race disparities in alcohol use among individuals who share similar social and environmental conditions. Methods: We compared race disparities in 1,408 individuals from the Exploring Health Disparities in Integrated Communities-Southwest Baltimore (EHDIC-SWB) study with 29,372 individuals from the 2003 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS 2003) to determine if race disparities in alcohol use were attenuated in EHDIC-SWB, a racially integrated urban community without race differences in socioeconomic status. Results: In the NHIS 2003 sample, compared to non-Hispanic whites, African Americans had a lower odds of being a current drinker (OR=0.56, 95% CI=0.49-0.64); former drinker (OR=0.84, 95% CI=0.72-0.99); or binge drinker (OR=0.68, 95% CI= 0.58-0.79) independent of covariates. However, in the EHDIC-SWB sample, African Americans had similar odds of being a current drinker (OR=0.95, 95% CI=0.67-1.34); former drinker (OR=0.71; 95% CI=0.50-1.01); or binge drinker (OR=1.02, 95% CI=0.77-1.35) compared to non-Hispanic whites after adjusting for covariates. Conclusions: Among individuals living in a low-income urban racially integrated community with similar exposure to social and environmental risk, race disparities in alcohol use were eliminated. These results suggest that research, policy, and intervention efforts need to account for influential characteristics of the social environment.

Learning Areas:
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Describe how the social context can explain racial disparities in alcohol use.

Keywords: Alcohol Use, Social Inequalities

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am student collaborator on this project and conceived and carried out this research project.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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