DRINKING IN THE INJURY EVENT: A COMPARISON OF MEXICAN-AMERICAN MALE ER PATIENTS IN THE UNITED STATES AND IN MEXICO

Abstract

Probability samples of 66 Mexican-American injured male emergency room (ER) patients in Santa Clara County, CA, and 457 injured male ER patients in Pachuca, Mexico are compared on a number of drinking-in-the-event variables. While those in Pachuca were more likely to be positive on the breathalyzer than those in Santa Clara, they were less likely to attribute a causal association of their drinking with the event. Site (Santa Clara) was found to be a significant (positive) predictor of drinking prior to injury.

• (ER) patients
• Drinking-in-the-event
• Mexican Americans
• Mexico
• Emergency room

RESUMEN

Se compararon las variables de consumo de alcohol en el evento en dos muestras probabilísticasuna de 66 pacientes masculinos mexicano- americanos lesionados, que ingresaron a los servicios de urgencia en Santa Clara, CA; otra con 457 pacientes masculinos lesionados en Pachuca, México. Mientras que los pacientes en Pachuca tuvieron mayor probabilidad de ser positivos al alcosensor que los pacientes de Santa Clara, los primeros tuvieron menores probabilidades de atribuir una asociación causal entre su consumo y el evento. El lugar del estudio (Santa Clara) fue un predictor significativo del consumo antes del evento.

RÉSUMÉ

On a contrasté un échantillon de 66 hommes blessés, Mexicain-Américains, aux services d'urgence de Santa Clara; California, Etats Unis, et un échantillon de 457 malades blessés des services d’urgence de Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexique. Pendant que les blessés de Panchuca on avait une plus grande probabilité d’être positive au alcosensor du que les malades de Santa Clara, les Mexicaines ont une moindre probabilité d’attribuer une association de cause entre sa consommation et l’évenément. Le lieu de l’étude (Santa Clara) a été un predicteur significatif de la consommation avant l’évenément.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Cheryl J. Cherpitel

Cheryl Cherpitel is a Senior Scientist at the Alcohol Research Group, Associate Director of the National Alcohol Research Center, and lecturer in the Division of Public Health Biometry and Epidemiology at the University of California School of Public Health, Berkeley. She has a B.S. degree in nursing from the University of California Medical Center, San Francisco, and a Dr.P.H. in epidemiology and biostatistics from the University of California School of Public Health, Berkeley. She has been a scientist at the Alcohol Research Group for the last 15 years, where her area of research has focused on studies of drinking patterns and problems and the identification of alcohol use disorders in emergency room and primary care settings and the general population, with a special emphasis on gender, ethnic and regional differences, including cross-cultural comparisons.

Guilherme Borges

Guilherme Borges, Doctor in Science in Epidemiology, is a professor at the Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana and researcher at the National Institute of Psychiatry Ramon de la Fuente, in Mexico. He was affiliated during a doctoral fellowship at the Department of Mental Hygiene in Johns Hopkins University and has been a post-doctoral fellow at the Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School. His main topics of interest are the consequences of alcohol and substance use and abuse, especially injuries and suicide. He is also interested in methodological problems of psychiatric epidemiology.