Understanding the characteristics of Latino individuals with first-time DUI offenses to facilitate effective interventions

Abstract

Literature shows that Latinos who drink are more likely to experience alcohol-related consequences and less likely to seek care for alcohol misuse than Whites. We aim to understand characteristics, consumption patterns, and openness to treatment among Latino first-time offenders driving under the influence. Latino participants were significantly younger (29.0 years) than non-Latinos (37.7 years). In adjusted models, Latino participants were significantly more likely than non-Latinos to binge drink, but there were no significant group differences in amount of alcohol consumed in a typical week. There was no significant difference in incidence of alcohol-related consequences, readiness to change drinking, and driving behaviors in this sample.

Keywords:

• Minority health
• health disparities
• driving under the influence
• alcohol misuse
• Latinos

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Kathy Mulford and the DUI program staff for their invaluable collaboration, Rick Garvey and his team for their outstanding data collection efforts, and Magdalena Kulesza without whom this research would not be possible.

Conflict of interest

There are no conflicts of interest to report.

Funding

The current study was funded by a grant from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD; R01MD007762, Principal Investigator: Karen Chan Osilla). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of NIMHD or the National Institutes of Health.