Alcohol use and abuse by adolescents: the impact of living in a border community.

Purpose: To determine the rates of alcohol consumption and alcohol-related risk behaviors among a sample of high school students living on the U.S.-Mexico border, as well as to investigate factors associated with alcohol use among this population.

Methods: A self-administered anonymous questionnaire was administered to students in grades 9-12 during Fall and Spring semesters of 2001 (n = 1366; 639 males and 722 females) in 16 high schools in a community along the U.S.-Mexico border. The questionnaire addressed demographic factors, alcohol consumption, and alcohol-related behaviors. Surveys were completed by Chi-square tests for homogeneity of the odds ratio and logistic regression models were used to identify factors significantly associated with the outcome variables.

Results: Rates of binge drinking (45%), drinking and driving (19%), and riding with a driver who had been drinking (46%) were higher for our study population when compared with state and national rates. Students who consumed alcohol were more likely to report alcohol-related problems and lower academic grades. Drinking while in Mexico was significantly associated with binge drinking (OR = 6.44), drinking and driving (OR = 5.39), and riding with a driver who has been drinking (OR = 3.12).

Conclusions: The high rates of alcohol risk behaviors among students living on the U.S.-Mexico border underscore the need to develop and implement culturally appropriate prevention programs that address alcohol consumption in Mexico, particularly in terms of students driving back home.