[Binge drinking in Northeastern Brazil according to race/skin color]

This study aimed to analyze the factors associated with binge drinking in Northeastern Brazil according to race/skin color. A cross-sectional study was carried out with data from the 2019 Brazilian National Health Survey regarding individuals aged 18 years or older. The binge drinking outcome was measured by the consumption of five or more doses of alcoholic beverages on a single occasion in the previous 30 days. A Poisson regression with robust variance was used to evaluate the association between sociodemographic, lifestyle, and health/disease variables. The analyses were stratified by race/skin color. The prevalence of binge drinking equaled 16.6% in white people and 17.6% in black ones, occurring more often, for both strata, in men, younger people, those without a partner, those with higher per capita household income, those under paid work, physically active individuals, smokers, and those with inadequate eating habits. Higher schooling, seeking no health services, and negative self-perceived health remained associated with binge drinking only in black individuals and with three or more chronic diseases and overweight/obesity in white ones. Sociodemographic, lifestyle, and health/disease characteristics were associated with binge drinking. Health/disease factors associated with binge drinking differed between race/skin color groups. Results reinforce the importance of implementing intersectoral actions involving health and regulatory agencies to reduce the consumption of alcoholic beverages and prioritize the most vulnerable groups.