Hazardous drinking and exposure to interpersonal and community violence on both sides of the U.S. -Mexico border

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 non-border 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 U.S. hazardous drinking was associated with past year IPV (OR_adj=2.5; 1.8-3.5) and community violence (OR_adj=1.4; 1.1-1.8). In Mexico, IPV (OR_adj=3.9; 2.0-7.4) and border proximity (OR_adj=0.5; 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.