Drinking patterns and problems: a comparison of two black primary care samples in two regions

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Substance Abuse Research

Background:

• Primary care settings encounter diverse patient populations with varying alcohol-related issues.
• Regional variations in alcohol consumption patterns (e.g.,
• wet
• vs.
• dry
• ) may influence the prevalence of alcohol-related problems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of regional drinking pattern variations on alcohol-related problems in primary care patients.
• To compare alcohol-related problems and drinking behaviors between patients in different regional settings.

Main Methods:

• Comparison of black primary care patients from Hinds County, MS (
• dry
• region) and Contra Costa County, CA (
• wet
• region).
• Data collected on quantity/frequency of drinking, drunkenness, drinking consequences, and alcohol dependence.
• Logistic regression analysis controlled for demographic differences.

Main Results:

• Patients in Contra Costa County reported significantly higher rates of alcohol-related consequences (4x), alcohol dependence experiences (5x), and prior alcohol problem treatment (9.5x) compared to Hinds County.
• No significant difference in heavy drinking prevalence was observed between the two regions.
• Regional variations in drinking patterns appear to correlate with alcohol involvement in primary care caseloads.

Conclusions:

• Geographic variations in drinking patterns contribute to the observed differences in alcohol-related problems within primary care settings.
• Primary care settings differ in their potential for effective screening and intervention for problem drinking.
• Further research is needed to identify primary care settings most suitable for targeted alcohol prevention efforts.