Syndemic factors associated with drinking patterns among Latino men and Latina transgender women who have sex with men in New York City.

Alcohol consumption is a significant public health concern among Latino men and Latina transgender women who have sex with men. However, characteristics and behaviors associated with alcohol consumption in this population, particularly in regard to the complex influence of syndemic factors, remain understudied. The purpose of this study was to examine predictors of high-risk alcohol consumption (i.e. binge or heavy drinking). Between January and March of 2014, 176 Latino men and Latina transgender women in New York City completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire. We developed a syndemics scale to reflect the total number of syndemic factors - clinically significant depression, childhood sexual abuse, intimate partner violence, and discrimination - reported by each participant. We also carried out a multinomial logistic regression model predicting binge and heavy drinking. Forty-seven percent of participants reported high-risk alcohol consumption in the past 30 days (21% binge and 26% heavy). Approximately 16% of participants reported no syndemic factors, 27% reported one factor, 39% reported two factors, and 18% reported three or four. In the multinomial logistic regression model, our syndemic factors scale was not significantly associated with binge drinking. However, participants who reported three or four factors were significantly more likely to report heavy drinking. In addition, having multiple sexual partners was associated with an increased risk of binge and heavy drinking; involvement in a same-sex relationship was associated with binge drinking. Further work is needed to develop effective prevention intervention approaches for high-risk alcohol consumption within this population.