DALLAS, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- Caucasians, Hispanics and African-Americans all report drinking more during the period of 1992 to 2002, U.S. researchers say.
Lead author Dr. Raul Caetano, dean of the University of Texas Southwestern School of Health Professions and lead author, says more U.S. adults are drinking than 20 years ago.
The researchers used data from the 1991-1992 National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey and the 2001-02 National Epidemiologic Study on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Trained interviewers spoke with people age 18 or older in the respondents' homes and each study included about 43,000 participants and used the same overall methodology.
Both studies defined drinkers as those drinking 12 drinks that contained at least 0.6 ounces of any kind of alcohol within the past year. Those who drank less than 12 drinks in the past year were considered non-drinkers.
While more Caucasians, Hispanics and African-Americans overall reported drinking from 1992 to 2002, only Caucasian women consumed more drinks per person.
Men age 60 and under who did not have a college degree were likely to consume more drinks per month than others and being unemployed or unmarried were identified as risk factors for males getting intoxicated more than once a month, Caetano says.
The findings are published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
