Drinking location and risk of alcohol-impaired driving among high school seniors.

This study investigated environmental predictors of teenagers' alcohol-impaired driving, such as drinking location and alcohol source. Data for this study were part of the 15 Communities Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol Project. Relationships between drinking-driver status, alcohol source, drinking location, alcohol consumption, and individual demographics were determined for the full sample as well as for males and females separately, using mixed-model, logistic regression. Analyses were restricted to high school seniors who were drivers and who consumed alcohol within the last 30 days (N = 1,914). For males and females, the risk of alcohol-impaired driving rose significantly with increases in both the number of binge-drinking events and estimates of the number of drinks required to impair their driving. Drinking location was important in that students who drank outdoors or in a moving car or truck were at significant risk for drinking-driving. Drinking-driving risks specific to females were number of drinking occasions and drinking at someone else's house. Strategies to prevent drinking-driving among teenagers need to consider drinking patterns as well as drinking locations for both males and females.

Relationships between socioeconomic status and drinking problems among black and white men.

We sought to examine the relationships between socioeconomic status and drinking problems within the Black and White male populations. A two-way interactions of social class with race/ethnicity, and with drinking consequences and alcohol dependence symptoms was hypothesized among drinkers. Drinking problems were regressed on social class, race/ethnicity, age, alcohol consumption, and drinking settings. Social class was based on a composite of respondent's income, education, and main wage earner's occupation. Two types of drinking problems were analyzed: drinking consequences and alcohol dependence symptoms. Our hypothesis was partially confirmed. Interactions of social class with race/ethnicity and with drinking problems were observed. Less affluent Black men reported greater numbers of drinking consequences and total drinking problems than less affluent White men; the reverse was true for affluent Black and White men. Results suggest that the relationships between socioeconomic status and drinking problems may vary by race/ethnicity.

Symptoms of depression among blacks and whites.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to examine relationships between sociodemographic indicators of risk and depression symptoms within the Black and White populations. METHODS: In a national probability sample, differences in sex, age, marital status, religion, social class, employment status, urbanicity, and region were evaluated against a Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale score of 16 or greater. Risk factors were identified within the two populations and compared between them. RESULTS: For both races, females were at greater risk for depression than males, and respondents who were formerly married or separated were at greater risk than those who were currently married. Major differences in patterns of risk were also found between the races. Blacks who were 30 to 39 years of age, belonged to non-Western religious groups, and lived in the West were at greater risk than comparable Whites. Blacks who were widowed, members of the middle and lower-middle class, and unemployed were at less risk. CONCLUSIONS: Similarities and differences in patterns of risk were evident. The nature of the differences suggests important divergence in sociocultural and economic experience.