Trajectories of Alcohol Use in Hispanic Individuals with TBI over the Ten Years Post-Injury: a Model Systems Study

Abstract Objective To examine alcohol consumption patterns and predictors of consumption across time among Hispanics with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in the United States (U.S.) within ten years post-injury. Methods Longitudinal cohort study. The sample included 1342 Hispanics (77.6% males) from the TBI Model Systems (TBIMS) database who had at least one complete data record at one of the follow-up data collections for average number of drinks consumed per episode of drinking in the previous month and one complete data record for number of times when five or more drinks were consumed in a single episode in the previous month. Results Across the full sample, alcohol consumption variables generally demonstrated quadratic movement characterized by an initial increase followed by a plateau or slight decrease over the 10 years post-injury. Participants were more likely to consume a greater number of drinks per episode over time if they were men, single, with a history of excessive alcohol use, with a nonviolent mechanism of injury, shorter duration of PTA, and higher levels of education. Participants had a greater number of 5+ drinks/episode occurrences in the past month if they were men and had had a greater number of 5+ drinks/episode occurrences in the month before injury. There was no differential change in alcohol consumption over time as a function of these predictors. Conclusions This study identified a profile of at-risk Hispanics with TBI for increased alcohol consumption. These individuals should be identified and targeted for early evidence-based alcohol intervention after TBI when results might be most favorable.