Racial/ethnic disparities in drinking patterns and problems in the US: Temporal trends from 2000 to 2010

Background: Racial/ethnic disparities in problem drinking are of high significance generally and particular interest currently, given that so little is known about the effects of the 2008-9 recession on the population distribution of alcohol problems. Methods: We used 3 waves of National Alcohol Survey data to compare racial/ethnic disparities in alcohol outcomes in 2000, 2005, and 2010. Regressions tested the effects of race/ethnicity, survey year, and their interaction on total volume, heavy drinking, alcohol-related consequences, and alcohol dependence. Drink-size adjustments were applied to correct for variation in drink sizes. Results: Hispanic men tended to report greater prevalence of consequences and dependence than White men across surveys, whereas White men reported higher total volume than Hispanic and Black men. But, both White and Hispanic men showed increases in heavy drinking and alcohol problems between 2005 and 2010 (while Blacks stayed constant), affecting the size of racial/ethnic disparities in these outcomes. White women tended to report both greater consumption and problems than Black and Hispanic women across surveys. However, White women showed increases in heavy drinking and Hispanic women declined in heavy drinking and dependence from 2005 and 2010, again altering the size of racial/ethnic disparities. Conclusions: Results suggest some enduring racial/ethnic disparities that have shifted somewhat in size due to changes in White and Hispanic drinking. Results point to increased heavy drinking and alcohol problem rates overall, consistent with expectations of increased drinking problems in association with effects of the recent recession on mental health.