Individual and Group Racism and Problem Drinking Among African American Women

This study investigated whether perceived individual and group racism were associated with problematic drinking patterns among urban African American women. In this cross-sectional survey, 139 African American women aged 21 to 49 years who consumed alcohol at least once per month were recruited from and interviewed at varied community sites in Central Harlem, New York City. Drinking patterns were assessed with the CAGE, a commonly used four-item screening measure. Frequent heavy drinking was measured with a single item used in the Centers for Disease Control Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. The results showed that, controlling for household income and education level, individual racism was associated with drinking patterns suggestive of alcohol dependence but not frequent heavy drinking. Group racism was not associated with either outcome. The results replicate and extend findings in previous studies and contribute to building literature on the effects of racism on health-damaging behaviors.

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