Alcohol abuse or dependence among Mexican American women who report violence

Background: Violence against women has been linked to alcohol disorders in various populations. Few studies have assessed alcohol disorders among assa ulted women in a general population of Mexican Americans. This study examin ed alcohol disorders among Mexican American women who reported physical or sexual assault. Methods: Participants were women (n=1516, ages 18-59) living in Fresno Coun ty, California, who were enrolled in a population-based, randomized househo ld survey of Mexican-origin men and women. Crude and adjusted odds ratios ( ORs) were calculated for alcohol dependence/abuse (ADA) and physical or sex ual assault by a current partner or someone other than a current partner. Results: Women who reported lifetime physical or sexual assault were signif icantly more likely to meet criteria for ADA (OR=8.2; 95% confidence interv al [CI], 4.4-15.4). After we adjusted for birthplace, age, income, and pare ntal problem drinking, assaulted women were still 4.7 times more likely to meet criteria for ADA (CI, 2.1-10.4). Physical or sexual assault by someone other than a partner was more strongly associated with ADA (OR = 8.7; CI, 4.5-16.9) than assault by a current partner (OR = 3.2; CI, 1.3-7.6). Both p hysical (OR = 9.0; CI, 4.7-17.0) and sexual assault (OR = 4.7; CI, 2.2-10.0 ) by either type of perpetrator were associated with ADA. Conclusion: There is a strong association between reporting violence and ha ving a lifetime history of ADA. Although temporal order could not be establ ished, these findings highlight the importance of screening for physical an d sexual assault in settings that treat alcohol disorders as well as screen ing for alcohol disorders among women who seek services related to previous or current violence.