The study “Racial Discrimination and Alcohol-Related Behavior in Urban Transit Operators” analyzes findings from the San Francisco Muni Health and Safety Study. The objective of the study was to determine if there is a trend between racial discrimination and alcohol-related behaviors. For this study, a sample of urban transit operators was used.

The data gathered was used to conduct a cross-sectional study. Data from transit operators in San Francisco, California (1993-1995) consisted of a survey approach. In the survey, the responses to two sets of questions relating to racial discrimination, were closely examined. The first set of questions focused on “reaction to unfair treatment.” On the other hand, the second set focused on “arenas, or domains,of discrimination.” The variables that were considered in the study consisted of “number of drinks per month, heavy drinking, alcohol dependence, and negative consequences of alcohol consumption.”

According to the study, operators who reported five or more domains of discrimination also drank an average of 13.4 more drinks per month than those who reported no domains of discrimination (P= 0.01). Operators who reported more domains of discrimination were also found to be more likely to be heavy drinkers than those who reported none.

The study concludes that the data collected from the sample of urban transit operators revealed a correlation between the amount/number of domains of discrimination and a fraction of alcohol-related outcomes. However, there was no correlation for many of variables tested.

This conclusion could be pursued further. However, due to the lack of information gathered, it is difficult to draw conclusions about number of domains of discrimination reported, the operators, and link the results with alcohol use. It links two things that may or may not be dependent on one another.

Citation

Yen, I. H., D. R. Ragland, B. A. Greiner, and J. M. Fisher. “Racial Discrimination and Alcohol-Related Behavior in Urban Transit Operators: Findings from the San Francisco Muni Health and Safety Study.” Public Health Reports. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2016. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1308517/>.