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Objective: To examine differences in alcohol consumption among Hispanic national groups in the United States [Puerto Ricans, Mexican, Cuban, and Dominican South Central (D/SC) Americans] and identify sociodemographic predictors of drinking and binge drinking (four drinks for women and five for men in a 2-hr period). Method: The study used a household probability sample of adult Hispanics in five metropolitan areas in the United States. Comprehensive data on alcohol consumption were collected. Analyses included bivariate and multivariate regression techniques. Results: Puerto Rican and Mexican American men reported higher drinking rates, weekly consumption, and binge drinking than D/SC and Cuban Americans. Women drank significantly less than men. Mexican American women reported the highest abstention rate (61%); Puerto Rican women drank more per week and binged more frequently compared with their counterparts in other groups. Puerto Rican origin, initiating drinking during high school years (<18), and male gender (US- or foreign-born) were significant predictors of weekly alcohol consumption. Being younger, being single, Puerto Rican or D/SC American origin, initiating drinking at <18 years, being a US- or foreign-born male and being a US-born female were significant predictors of binge drinking. Conclusions: There are considerable differences in drinking behavior across Hispanic national groups as well as between men and women. Results underscore the need to recognize heterogeneity in drinking practices while designing effective prevention interventions in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There have been limited trend studies examining variations on the patterns of alcohol consumption among Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics in the United States. The current paper reports national trends in drinking patterns, volume of drinking (number of drinks per month), binge drinking, and drinking to intoxication among Blacks, Whites, and Hispanics over a period of 10 years and identifies sociodemographic predictors of these behaviors across the 3 ethnic groups. Methods: Data are from the 1991 to 1992 National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey (NLAES; n = 42,862) and the 2001 to 2002 National Epidemiologic Study on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC; n = 43,093). Both surveys used multistage cluster sample procedures to select respondents 18 years of age and older from the U.S. household population. Results: Trends varied across different dimensions of drinking and ethnic groups. There were no statistically significant differences in the mean number of drinks consumed per month among men and women in any of the 3 ethnic groups between 1992 and 2002, but there was a significant rise in the proportion of current drinkers in both genders and in all 3 ethnic groups. Multivariate analysis indicated that, compared to Whites in 1992, Blacks and Hispanics did not increase their volume of drinking, but Whites did. Drinking 5 or more drinks in day at all did not increase between 1992 and 2002, but drinking 5 or more drinks at least once a month was more likely for all groups in 2002 compared to Whites in 1992. Drinking to intoxication at all was more likely among Whites in 2002 than 1992, but drinking to intoxication at least once a month was more likely among Whites and Blacks in 2002 than 1992. Conclusion: The only common trend between 1992 and 2002 across both genders and 3 ethnic groups was a rise in the proportion of drinkers. There was also a rise in drinking 5 or more drinks in a day (Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics) and drinking to intoxication (Whites and Blacks), but this was limited to those reporting such drinking at least once a month. The reasons for these changes are many and may involve complex sociodemographic changes in the population. It is important for the field to closely monitor these cross-ethnic trends in alcohol consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: U.S. Hispanics come from many countries in Latin America, which can lead to different beverage preferences in the United States. This paper examines choice for drinking wine, beer, and liquor across 4 Hispanic national groups: Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans, and South/Central Americans. Methods: A sample of 5,224 individuals 18 years of age and older was selected using multistage cluster procedures from the household population in 5 metropolitan areas of the United States: Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Houston, and Los Angeles. The survey weighted response rate was 76%. Face-to-face interviews lasting 1 hour on average were conducted in the respondents’ homes either in English or Spanish. Results: Among men, beer drinkers consume the highest mean number of drinks per week in all national groups. Among women, this is true only of Puerto Ricans and Mexican Americans. Among men who drink beer, beer drinking constitutes 52 to 72% of total alcohol consumption. Among women who drink beer, beer consumption is associated with 32 to 64% of total consumption. Beer is the beverage most associated with binge drinking among Puerto Rican and Mexican American women, while among Cuban Americans and South/Central Americans this is seen for wine. Regression analyses showed no significant differences by national group in the likelihood of drinking 2 or fewer drinks (vs. no drinks) of wine, beer, or liquor. Puerto Ricans were more likely (OR = 1.47; 95% CI = 1.00–2.14) than Cuban Americans to drink 3 or more drinks (compared with no drinks) of beer. There was no association between the likelihood of binge drinking and Hispanic national group. Conclusions: Beverage preference across Hispanic national groups is similar. Beer is the preferred beverage. Alcohol control policies such as taxation and control of sales availability should apply equally to beer, liquor, and wine. Prevention interventions directed at different Hispanic national groups in the United States can be relatively uniform in their focus on the dangers associated with drinking different types of alcoholic beverages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper examines rates of self-reported driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol and 12-month and lifetime DUI arrest rates among Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans and South/Central Americans in the U.S. population. Using a multistage cluster sample design, a total of 5224 individuals 18 years of age and older were selected from the household population in five metropolitan areas of the U.S.: Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Houston and Los Angeles. The survey weighted response rate was 76%. Among men, 21% of Mexican Americans, 19.9% of South/Central Americans, 11.6% of Puerto Ricans and 6.9% of Cuban Americans reported DUI. Rates were lower among women, ranging from 9.7% for Mexican Americans to 1.3% for Cuban Americans. Mexican American men had the highest 12-month arrest rate (1.6%) and the highest lifetime arrest rate (11.2%). Drinkers who reported DUI were heavier drinkers than those not reporting DUI according to a variety of indicators. However, most DUI incidents involved non-alcohol-dependent drivers. Mexican Americans and South Central/Americans, men, younger drivers, those with less than high school education, those with higher income and higher alcohol consumption were more likely to report DUI and DUI arrests. These findings show that Hispanic national groups in the U.S. are diverse regarding drinking and DUI-related experiences. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Emerging infectious diseases continue to place a strain on the welfare of the population by decreasing the population’s general health and increasing the burden on public health infrastructure. This paper addresses these issues through the development of a computational framework for modeling and simulating infectious disease outbreaks in a specific geographic region facilitating the quantification of public health policy decisions. Effectively modeling and simulating past epidemics to project current or future disease outbreaks will lead to improved control and intervention policies and disaster preparedness. In this paper, we introduce a computational framework that brings together spatio–temporal geography and population demographics with specific disease pathology in a novel simulation paradigm termed, global stochastic field simulation (GSFS). The primary aim of this simulation paradigm is to facilitate intelligent what-if-analysis in the event of health crisis, such as an influenza pandemic. The dynamics of any epidemic are intrinsically related to a region’s spatio–temporal characteristics and demographic composition and as such, must be considered when developing infectious disease control and intervention strategies. Similarly, comparison of past and current epidemics must include demographic changes into any effective public health policy for control and intervention strategies. GSFS is a hybrid approach to modeling, implicitly combining agent-based modeling with the cellular automata paradigm. Specifically, GSFS is a computational framework that will facilitate the effective identification of risk groups in the population and determine adequate points of control, leading to more effective surveillance and control of infectious diseases epidemics. The analysis of past disease outbreaks in a given population and the projection of current or future epidemics constitutes a significant challenge to Public Health. The corresponding design of computational models and the simulation that facilitates epidemiologists’ understanding of the manifestation of diseases represents a challenge to computer and mathematical sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of drinking, binge drinking (4 or more drinks), and alcohol abuse and dependence and to identify predictors of heavier drinking among women of child-bearing age (18–44 years). Methods: Subjects are part of a national multistage random sample from the 2002 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). Results: Binge drinking, abuse, and dependence are higher in younger (<30 years) pregnant and nonpregnant women. Among pregnant women, binge drinking is highest among Whites; alcohol abuse and dependence rates are relatively low and similar in all racial/ethnic groups. Among nonpregnant women, Whites and mixed race women have the highest rates of binge drinking. Alcohol abuse and dependence are highest among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders, followed by Native American/Alaska Native women. Women who are White, younger (21–29 years), single, or cohabiting and with a higher income (>$40,000) are at a higher risk for heavier drinking. Conclusions: Drinking and heavier drinking remain at high levels among women of child-bearing age. Prevention efforts must be comprehensive and should target pregnant women who are drinking and those who could become pregnant and are drinking at high-risk levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the rates and risk factors of unidirectional and bidirectional intimate partner violence (IPV) among White, Black and Hispanic couples in the US, Subjects constitute a multistage area probability sample representative of married and cohabiting couples from the 48 contiguous United States, Results indicate that most couples reporting violence engage in bidirectional IPV, Blacks are more likely than Whites to report bidirectional IPV, In addition, severe unidirectional and bidirectional IPV are more common among Blacks and Hispanics, The results also indicate that predictors of IPV vary depending on whether it is unidirectional or bidirectional. Unidirectional female-to-male IPV and bidirectional IPV are more associated with the characteristics of the female. In contrast, the occurrence of unidirectional male-to-female IPV is associated with a single risk factor, male childhood physical abuse. These findings highlight the importance of distinguishing different types of IPV and have important epidemiological and prevention implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study examined the 5-year incidence and recurrence of male to female (MFPV) and female to male partner violence (FMPV) as well as their relationship with drinking and alcohol problems among intact couples in the United States. Methods: A national sample of couples 18 years of age or older were interviewed in 1995 and again in 2000. Results: Recurrence is slightly higher for FMPV (44%) than MFPV (39%), whereas incidence rates are similar for these two types of violence (MFPV, 5.7%; FMPV, 6%). Cross-tabulations show that a higher frequency of drinking five or more drinks on occasion is positively associated with the overall occurrence of MFPV and with both the recurrence and the overall occurrence of FMPV. Male alcohol problems are associated with a higher recurrence of MFPV and higher overall MFPV. Female alcohol problems are associated with incidence of FMPV. In multivariate analysis, black ethnicity, male unemployment, and severe physical abuse during childhood are associated with recurrence of MFPV. Black ethnicity, male unemployment, male employment status as "retired/other," female age, and couples in which the female drinks more are associated with recurrence of FMPV. Incidence of MFPV is associated with cohabitation, Hispanic ethnicity, and man's observation of violence between parents. Male unemployment, male observation of violence between parents, and man's drinking volume predict incidence of FMPV. Conclusions: Volume of drinking is the only alcohol indicator associated with intimate partner violence once the effects of other factors are controlled in multivariate analysis. Both MFPV and FMPV are areas of health disparity across whites, blacks, and Hispanics. Factors of risk that predict recurrence and incidence can be identified and used in prevention efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the 5-year association between acculturation, drinking, and male-to-female partner violence and female-to-male partner violence among Hispanic couples in the United States. A national representative sample of Hispanic couples 18 years of age of older was interviewed in 1995 and 2000. Both members of the couple were independently interviewed. Differences in prevalence rates of male-to-female partner violence and female-to-male partner violence, incidence, and recurrence across acculturation groups are not significant. Drinking is associated with acculturation among women. Couples with mixed acculturation level (high-medium) are less at risk for male-to-female partner violence. An increase of five standard drinks per week in men's drinking decreases the risk of female-to-male partner violence by 10%. Acculturation level at Time 1 is not associated with male-to-female partner violence and female-to-male partner violence status 5 years later. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]