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BACKGROUND: Binge drinking is associated with injury death. However, areas in New Mexico with the highest alcohol-related injury death (e.g. McKinley County), have an average prevalence of binge drinking. Many of these areas have high American Indian populations, leading to speculation that survey methods for alcohol consumption are not as effective among American Indians. An alternative hypothesis is that New Mexico American Indians may have a high prevalence of abstinence from alcohol but high consumption levels among those who do drink, and that this results in an average prevalence of binge drinking. The objective of our study was to compare alternative measures of alcohol consumption (abstinence and maximum number of drinks consumed) to estimates of binge drinking among geographic areas and racial/ethnic groups with high alcohol-related injury death.
METHODS: We used combined 2011-2012 Behavioral Risk Surveillance System data to estimate maximum number of alcoholic drinks consumed on one occasion among those who reported any alcohol use in the past 30 days, abstinence (no alcohol consumption in the past 30 days) and binge drinking (≥ 4 drinks on one occasion for women, ≥ 5 for men) among New Mexico adults. High consumption was defined as consuming a maximum of ≥ 8 alcoholic drinks on a single occasion. These measures were examined by demographics, including race/ethnicity and county.
RESULTS: During 2011-2012, 15.5% of adults reported binge drinking and 51.1% reported abstinence. The average maximum number of drinks consumed was 3.8 on a single occasion (range: 1-50 drinks) and 10.8% reported high consumption. Hispanics were more likely to binge drink than Whites or American Indians (18.5% vs. 13.1% and 13.7%, respectively). American Indians and Hispanics were more likely to abstain then Whites (67.7% and 54.1% vs. 47.7%, respectively). American Indians and Hispanics were also more likely to report high consumption then Whites (23.5% and 13.7% vs. 7.0%, respectively). Although the prevalence of binge drinking in McKinley County (15.2%) was similar to the state prevalence, McKinley had one of the highest prevalence rates of abstinence (66.2%) and the highest prevalence of high consumption (25.2%) in the state.
CONCLUSIONS: In McKinley County a large percent of the population reports abstaining from alcohol. However, residents who do consume alcohol are more likely to have high consumption and this may result in a relatively average prevalence of binge drinking. Maximum drinks consumed and abstinence should be taken into account when determining priority areas for intervention.