1. Introduction Physical dating violence (PDV) perpetration and victimization is a significant public health issue linked to negative health outcomes. The negative effects of alcohol consumption (AC) to the human race cannot be over-emphasized including wreaking havoc on nearly every facet of human existence. US department of education’s 2013 factsheet on PDV showed that one-in-three US teens aged 14-20 have been victims. NIH’s 2014 monitoring-the-future survey showed 23.5% of 10th graders, and 37.4% of 12th graders reported past-month AC. Our objective is to explain the context and dynamics of AC and its corresponding association with PDV among high-risk urban school youth. The data for this research was taken from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) conducted among a representative sample of 9,300 students in grades 9-12 in 2013. Several weighted logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds of PDV as a result of AC. We concluded that the odds of PDV in the past 12 months are more than 3 times higher among those youths who reported having more than 100 times AC compared to no AC in life. Female students are about 3 times more likely to experience PDV compared to male students. High-risk urban youth who consume alcohol are more likely to perpetrate PDV. They need to be kept engaged with social/educational activities to reduce the increasing incidence of AC and PDV. Dating violence is a pattern of assaultive and controlling behaviors that one person uses against another in order to gain or maintain power and control in the relationship. It can occur in-person or electronically and might occur between a current or former dating partner. Physical Dating Violence among teens is a pattern of actual acts of abuse, perpetrated by an adolescent. It includes Isolation: Trying to cut off the victim's relationship with family and friends; using jealousy to justify behavior. Emotional/Psychological: Humiliating the victim in front of friends or making the victim feel guilty when he/she confronts the abuser about the abuse. Intimidation: Making the victim fearful by using threatening behavior, verbal aggression or destruction of property. Coercion: Threatening to find someone else if the dating partner doesn't comply with the abuser's wishes or demands. Threats to harm self or others if the dating partner leaves. Physical: Using or threatening to use physically assaultive behaviors such as hitting, shoving, grabbing, slapping, beating, kicking, etc. Sexual: Touching or forcing the victim to engage in unwanted sexual activity. Risks of experiencing/perpetrating Physical Dating Violence increase for teens who:  Believe that dating violence is acceptable  Are depressed, anxious, or have other symptoms of trauma  Display aggression towards peers or display other aggressive behaviors  Use drugs or illegal substances  Engage in early sexual activity and have multiple sexual partners  Have a friend involved in dating violence  Have conflicts with a partner  Witness or experience violence in the home  Involvement in antisocial behaviors  Thoughts about suicide Objective: To explain the context and dynamics of alcoholic consumption and its corresponding association with physical dating violence among high-risk urban school youth. Research Hypotheses: We hypothesize that the odds of physical dating violence in the past 12 months is higher among those youth who reported having alcohol consumption more than 100 days during their lifetime, compared to youth who have reported no alcohol consumption. We also hypothesize that female students are more likely to experience physical dating violence compared to male students. Our research used the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) data conducted among a representative sample of students in grades 9-12 in 2013 in the USA. The YRBSS is a probability sample of schools and students. YRBSS includes a national school-based Youth Risk Behavior Survey conducted by CDC and state and large urban school district school-based YRBSS also conducted by states and local education and health agencies. The national probability sample of public and private schools make a total sample of more than 13,115 students b/w 9th grade to 12th grade. The participants who reported not having any dating relationship (3,202) in the past 12 months were excluded. Hence, the sample for this study appears to be about 9,300 after excluding some missing data. Univariate analysis was performed in order to describe the study population. Bivariate analysis was used for examining the association between all independent variables and the outcome variable, PDV; and chi-square test was performed. In addition several weighted crude and adjusted logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds of PDV as a result of AC. The odds of Physical Dating Violence in past 12 months prior to the survey is more than 3 times higher among those youths who reported having more than 100 times Alcoholic Consumption compared to no Alcoholic Consumption. Female students are about 3 times more likely to experience Physical Dating Violence compared to male students. High-risk urban youth who consume alcohol are more likely to perpetrate Physical Dating Violence. They need to be kept engaged with social/educational activities to reduce the increasing incidence of Alcohol Consumption and Physical Dating Violence. Abstract Results Summary and Findings Figure 1 and 2. Distribution of physical dating violence and gender among youths, YRBS 2013 Study objective and hypothesis Alcohol consumption and dating violence among high-risk urban school youth: What do we know and why should we care? Enyinnaya Merengwa, MD, MPH, DrPH(c), CPH Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Program in Health Disparities Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN Mian B. Hossain, MS, MHS, PhD School of Community Health and Policy, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD Figure 3. Alcohol use pattern in life among youths, YRBS 2013 Data and Methods Results Table 1. Bivariate Analysis between independent variables and physical dating violence among youths, YRBS, 2013 Table 2. Odds ratio and 95% confidence interval for the logistic regression analysis of the relationship between alcohol use and physical dating violence among youths, YRBS, 2013 Physical violence during dating Chi-square (p-value) VariablesNoYes n%n% Alcohol use in the life26.05 (<0.001) 100+ days70882.714717.3 1-99 days5,39889.666410.4 Never2,23593.81486.2 Gender66.14 (<0.001) Female3,95885.866514.2 Male4,38394.42945.6 Age (in years)2.16 (0.736) Less than 1575988.59911.5 151,74689.322310.7 161,97990.42319.6 172,30290.92439.1 18 or older1,55589.816310.2 Race10.95 (0.025) White3,54690.53889.5 Black2,01491.61898.4 Hispanics2,04588.726411.3 Other73687.011813.0 Sadness in past year71.08 (<0.001) No5,87594.33945.7 Yes2,46681.356518.7 Been bullied in past year103.03 (<0.001) No6,98093.15616.9 Yes1,36178.139821.9 Been electronically bullied in past year92.70 (<0.001) No7,30293.15786.9 Yes1,03974.238125.8 VariablesUnadjusted ModelsAdjusted Model OR95% CIOR95% CI Alcohol use in the life 100+ days3.17***2.08, 4.822.60***1.80, 3.75 1-99 days1.77**1.30, 2.411.350.99, 1.86 Never1.00- - Gender Female2.80***2.25, 3.491.93***1.52, 2.46 Male1.00- - Age Less than 151.00- - 150.920.65, 1.310.940.64, 1.39 160.820.53, 1.270.840.54, 1.31 170.770.50, 1.180.840.56, 1.27 18 or older0.880.52, 1.471.080.64, 1.81 Race White1.00- - Black0.870.68, 1.121.250.99, 1.57 Hispanics1.210.86, 1.711.290.94, 1.76 Other1.431.07, 1.891.47*1.06, 2.06 Sadness in past year No1.00- - Yes3.78***3.13, 4.562.22***1.79, 2.76 Been bullied in past year No1.00- - Yes3.77***3.25, 4.381.99***1.60, 2.46 Been electronically bullied in past year No1.00- - Yes4.72***3.91, 5.702.28***1.79, 2.90 Significance: * p<0.05; ** p<0.01; ***p<0.001 90% 10% 48% 52% 26% 10% 64% Physical dating violence Gender A 2011 CDC nationwide survey found that 23% of females and 14% of males who ever experienced rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner, first experienced some form of partner violence between 11 and 17 years of age. Youth who are victims of dating violence in high school are at higher risk for victimization during college (CDC, 2015). Introduction (Contd.)