The use of drinking places by gender, age and ethnic groups: an analysis of routine drinking activities.

AIMS: This paper extends a prior analysis of drinking patterns to consider the influence of non-economic variables on the selection of drinking locations. DESIGN: Using data from a general population telephone survey conducted as a part of the Community Trials Project, Tobit models are estimated to determine the influence of background demographic characteristics upon the selection of drinking locations net of other model control variables. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: 24,778 current drinkers from four California and two South Carolina communities. FINDINGS: Distinct patterns of premise utilization are found to be associated with age, gender and ethnic subgroups. Additionally these patterns of utilization are differentially linked to drinking and driving, suggesting that patterns of outlet utilization are differentially linked to acute drinking problems (e.g. drunken driving and alcohol-related car crashes). CONCLUSIONS: Observed differences in outlet utilization patterns between age, gender and ethnic subgroups imply that preventive interventions should take into account the manner in which these subpopulations make use of drinking venues.

Alcohol availability and targeted advertising in racial/ethnic minority communities.

Alcohol availability and advertising are disproportionately concentrated in racial/ethnic minority communities. Although research on alcohol availability and alcohol advertising in racial/ethnic minority communities is limited, evidence does show a relationship between minority concentration, alcohol outlet density, and alcohol problems. This article reviews research showing that certain neighborhood characteristics, such as alcohol outlet density, can be stronger predictors of homicide and violence than are race or ethnicity.

Pro-drinking messages and message environments for young adults: the case of alcohol industry advertising in African American, Latino, and Native American communities.

This paper examines targeted alcohol advertising in three ethnic communities: African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans in the U.S. We focus on the appropriation of cultural systems and the reinvention of them as commodities to consumers. We outline the specific strategies used in each ethnic community. For African Americans, there is an emphasis on selling malt liquor to young adults through the use of "power" and gang-related images. For Latinos, there is an appropriation of historical and cultural symbols such as the national flags and maps of Mexico and Central America. Native Americans have coalesced to keep the image of a chief and warrior, Crazy Horse, from being used to market malt liquor. Each of the ethnic groups is engaged in action to prevent alcohol-related problems in their communities. Generating and implementing solutions is a universal social responsibility.

Mexican farmworker women's perspectives on drinking in a migrant community.

Alcohol use in farmworker communities has not been investigated to any extent. The literature on alcohol consumption and farmworkers is virtually nonexistent. This case study provides information on drinking patterns and problems in a Mexican farmworker community in Northern California. The focus is on Mexican farmworker women's perspectives on drinking in a specific social context: A migrant farmworker housing center. Male responses are provided as a basis for comparison and contrast. The study examines issues related to driving under the influence, public versus private space, and the centrality of considerations regarding children/youth in setting acceptable parameters for drinking. Data collection consisted of observations and 29 interviews of men (13) and women (16) farmworkers over a 6-month period in 1991. We found that most of the women in the camp abstain from drinking. They define male drinking as a problem when 1) youth are allowed and encouraged to drink, 2) an increase of individuals driving under the influence in the housing center becomes evident, and 3) when drinkers serve as poor role models for youth.

Husband's level of drinking and egalitarianism in Mexican-American families.

This study examines the relationship between husband's level of drinking and his participation in traditionally defined female household duties. A quantity/frequency index of alcohol consumption was used to compare husband's drinking level with participation in child care, household cleaning, buying groceries, and cooking as a measure of egalitarianism in Mexican-American family households. Results show that husbands who abstain from alcohol participate in two of the household duties, cleaning and cooking, at significantly higher levels than either infrequent or frequent drinkers.

Community-identified alcohol issues in the Mexican American community: research design and utilization.

This article describes a community-based study, Alcohol Outlet Density and Mexican American Youth Violence, funded by the California Wellness Foundation--Violence Prevention Initiative to the prevention Research Center in Berkeley, California. The study was conducted in three northern California cities in 1993-1996. The focus is on the inclusionary planning process in designing and implementing the study. Community members were an integral part in the identification of study questions. As a result, the findings of the study are relevant to community activists in advocating alcohol-related policies. The need for more utilization-based community studies is emphasized.

Gender, acculturation, and alcohol consumption among Mexican Americans.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines the relationship between level of acculturation and drinking status among Mexican American males and females in three northern California cities. METHOD: The data analyzed were collected through the use of a telephone survey. The sample size is 932. RESULTS: Our results show that acculturation has a direct effect on drinking status for women in the sample but not for men. At low levels of acculturation, our results show the expected difference in drinking status by gender; with high abstention rates for women and low abstention rates for males. At high levels of acculturation there is a convergence in drinking status with females approximating the proportion of male drinkers in the sample. Additionally, acculturation was associated with "heavier" drinking for females while place of birth was associated with "heavier" drinking for males. CONCLUSIONS: Studies of drinking patterns and related problems need to consider these factors.