310352
Race-Specific Patterns and Determinants of Alcohol Use among a Sample of Men Who Have Sex with Men
Methods: Non-Hispanic African American/Black (n=374) and white MSM (n=474) living in New York City during 2010-2013 were recruited via modified time-space, venue- based sampling and through internet ads and “apps.” Men who scored 4+ points on the AUDIT-C were categorized as meeting criteria for hazardous alcohol use. Logistic regression models estimated associations between individual factors and hazardous drinking.
Results: Overall, 56% of respondents met criteria for hazardous drinking; African American/Black MSM were less likely than whites to report hazardous drinking (45% vs. 65%, p < 0.001). Among both African American/Black and white MSM, recent drug use was associated with increased odds of hazardous drinking (aOR=2.71, 95%CI: 1.66-4.72; aOR=2.14, 95% CI: 1.34-3.42, respectively); increasing age was associated with reduced odds of hazardous drinking, but more so among white men (aOR=0.96/year, 95% CI: 0.95-0.98; aOR=0.92/year, 95% CI: 0.90-0.94, respectively). Among white men, greater involvement in the gay community (aOR=1.06, 95% CI: 1.01-1.12) was associated with slightly increased odds of hazardous drinking, while higher internalized homophobia was associated with reduced odds of hazardous drinking (aOR=0.64, 95% CI: 0.46-0.91).
Conclusions: While certain risk factors for hazardous alcohol use may be common across racial groups among MSM, important psychosocial risk factors for hazardous alcohol consumption may vary by race.
Learning Areas:
Diversity and cultureEpidemiology
Social and behavioral sciences
Learning Objectives:
Describe racial disparities in alcohol use and implications for HIV prevention.
Identify correlates of hazardous alcohol use by race/ethnicity among MSM living in New York City.
Discuss the role of alcohol use in HIV prevention among racial and ethnic minority MSM.
Keyword(s): Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT), HIV/AIDS
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been researching HIV risk and protective factors and alcohol and drug use in diverse populations for nearly a decade in New York City. I am an analyst on the NYCM2M study in the Laboratory of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the New York Blood Center. I possess an MPH degree and an MPhil and am a NIMH predoctoral fellow in the epidemiology department of the Mailman School of Public Health of Columbia University.
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.