Hazardous Drinking and Exposure to Interpersonal and Community Violence on Both Sides of the U.S.-Mexico Border

Abstract

Different patterns of heavy drinking occur by country and proximity to the U.S.-Mexico border. Few studies describe the impact of violence on drinking between countries and along the border. Survey data is from U.S.-Mexican-origin adults living in Texas and Mexican border and nonborder cities, N = 4,796. Participants were asked about alcohol consumption, interpersonal physical violence (IPV), and exposure to community violence. Monthly hazardous drinking (5+/4+ for men/women) was the primary outcome. Multivariate logistic regression model comparisons identified best predictors. In the United States, hazardous drinking was associated with past-year IPV (adjusted odds ratio [OR_adj] = 2.5; confidence interval [CI] = [1.8, 3.5]) and community violence (OR_adj = 1.4; CI = [1.1, 1.8]). In Mexico, IPV (OR_adj = 3.9; CI = [2.0, 7.4]) and border proximity (OR_adj = 0.5; CI = [0.4, 0.8]) were associated with hazardous drinking but not community violence. Hazardous drinking is associated with IPV in both countries, but violence did not explain border hazardous drinking differences where they existed in Mexico.