Impact of Perceived Race based Treatment on Heavy Alcohol Consumption in Adults

Background: According to latest estimates, 79,000 deaths in U.S. occur due to alcohol consumption. Excess alcohol use is the third leading lifestyle-related cause of death. Very few studies are available which describe the effect of perceived differences in race based treatment experience on likelihood of heavy alcohol consumption in adults.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to describe the effect of perceived differences in race based treatment experience on the prevalence of heavy alcohol intake in adults.

Methods: Cross sectional study of 2008, Behavioral risk factor Surveillance system (BRFSS) Survey analysis involving 20,622 (weighted n= 6,950,881) adults aged 18 years and above. Analysis done using SAS version 9.2 Main Outcome Measure: Self-reported heavy alcohol intake defined as “adult men having more than two drinks per day and adult women having more than one drink per day” as indicated on the survey.

Results: Adults who reported a perceived differential race based treatment experience were significantly more likely to be heavy alcohol drinkers than adults who did not report similar experience. (Adjusted odds ratio =1.10{95% CI: 1.08-1.11}). Study results also suggest that low-income, race, smoking, lack of health care coverage and lower education may significantly influence heavy alcohol consumption.

Conclusions: Adults who reported being treated differently because of their racial characteristic were more likely to be heavy drinkers. These findings suggest that perceived difference in race-based treatment or racial discrimination may be a predictor of heavy alcohol consumption in certain populations. More research is needed in future to support the evidence.