A Quantitative Analysis of Latino Acculturation and Alcohol Use: Myth Versus Reality

Abstract

Research on health among Latinos often focuses on acculturation processes and the associated stressors that influence drinking behavior. Given the common use of acculturation measures and the state of the knowledge on alcohol-related health among Latino populations, the current analyses tested the efficacy of acculturation measures to predict various indicators of alcohol consumption. Specifically, this quantitative review assessed the predictive utility of acculturation on alcohol consumption behaviors (frequency, volume, and quantity). Two main analyses were conducted-a p-curve analysis and a meta-analysis of the observed associations between acculturation and drinking behavior. Results demonstrated that current measures of acculturation are a statistically significant predictor of alcohol use (Z = -20.75, p < 0.0001). The meta-analysis included a cumulative sample size of 29,589 Latino participants across 31 studies. A random-effects model yielded a weighted average correlation of 0.16 (95% confidence interval = 0.12, 0.19). Additional subgroup analyses examined the effects of gender and using different scales to measure acculturation. Altogether, results demonstrated that acculturation is a useful predictor of alcohol use. In addition, the meta-analysis revealed that a small positive correlation exists between acculturation and alcohol use in Latinos with a between-study variance of only 1.5% (τ = 0.015). Our analyses reveal that the association between current measures of acculturation and alcohol use is relatively small.

A Critical Review and Meta‐Analysis of the Associations Between Acculturation and Alcohol Use Outcomes Among Hispanic Americans

“…First, results extended knowledge gained from previous narrative reviews and provided summary effect size estimates for various alcohol use outcomes (Zamboanga et al., ; Zemore, ). By including drinking‐related problems and differentiating alcohol use outcomes, our study also expanded upon findings from another meta‐analysis that examined the associations between acculturation and alcohol consumption among Hispanic adults (Alvarez et al., ). Second, our use of a theoretically and empirically supported conceptualization of acculturation afforded the opportunity to examine how measurement of this construct affected its observed correlations with alcohol use.…”

“…Similar to research with Asian Americans (Lui and Zamboanga, ), research with Hispanics has shown inconsistent results pertaining to the associations between acculturation and alcohol use outcomes: Whereas some studies showed statistically significant bivariate or multivariate associations, others indicated that acculturation was unrelated to alcohol use (Zamboanga et al., ; Zemore, ). A recent meta‐analysis of 31 studies with Hispanic adults (Alvarez et al., ) showed a modest correlation ( r = 0.16) between acculturation and alcohol consumption (including drinking frequency, average volume, and overall quantity). It remained unknown how acculturation was distinctly linked to various types of alcohol use outcomes, particularly binge drinking and alcohol‐related problems.…”

“…Both mechanisms largely assume a linear progression of the acculturation process and would indicate that higher levels of acculturation are associated with greater likelihood of alcohol initiation, larger quantity of alcohol use, more adverse drinking‐related consequences, and greater decline in healthy behaviors (e.g., Abraído‐Lanza et al., ; Alegria et al., ; Bacio, ; Schwartz et al., ). As shown in a narrative review (Zemore, ) and a meta‐analysis with Hispanic adults (Alvarez et al., ), studies to date have yielded inconsistent findings regarding whether acculturation was positively, negatively, or not associated with alcohol consumption. Some of this between‐study variability can be explained by gender differences.…”

“…Advances in the conceptualization and measurement of acculturation have afforded new opportunities to better understand its associations with alcohol use outcomes among Hispanic Americans. A recent meta‐analysis has examined the extent to which acculturation is linked to alcohol consumption among adults (Alvarez et al., ), but less is known about its links to other types of alcohol use outcomes, such as binge drinking, hazardous alcohol use, and drinking problems, and among adolescents. Hispanic adolescents are more likely than their White and Black counterparts to initiate alcohol use by age 13 (McKinney and Caetano, ).…”

Alcohol initiation among recently immigrated Hispanic adolescents: Roles of acculturation and sociocultural stress.

“…Acculturation refers to the extent to which an individual retains their cultural heritage and/or adopts the receiving society's culture (Berry, 1997). Although studies have found acculturation to be associated with alcohol use among Hispanic youth, recent meta-analyses have indicated that the relationship between acculturation on alcohol use is small (Alvarez, Frietze, Ramos, Field, & Zárate, 2017;Lui & Zamboanga, 2018). 1 Addressing these small effect sizes, Lui and Zamboanga (2018) hypothesized that the sociocultural stress associated with the acculturation process, in addition to acculturation per se, represents a risk for underage alcohol initiation.…”