Binge Drinking Among Latino Youth: Role of Acculturation-Related Variables.

Abstract

This research examined the relationship between acculturation-related variables and binge drinking behavior among nationally representative samples of Mexican American, Cuban American, and Puerto Rican youth. It explored the relationship between length of residence in the United States, type of language spoken in the home (Spanish vs. English) and binge drinking in each of these subgroups. Results suggest that Latino youths with no prior history of alcohol consumption remain largely unaffected by these acculturation-related variables. Youth with a previous history of alcohol consumption experience greater likelihood of binge drinking as a function of the acculturation-related variables, but the relationships are complex.The alcohol consumption behavior of Latino youth is an important area of inquiry. Latino youth report elevated levels of heavy drinking behavior (Johnson, O'Malley, & Bachman, 2002). Costs associated with underage drinking are over $52 billion per year (Levy, Miller, & Cox, 1999). The progression of substance use in Latino youth is believed to begin with alcohol, followed by other illicit substances (Warheit, Vega, Khoury, Gil, & Elfenbein, 1996). In addition, Latino youth may be more prone to alcohol use because for many, it is a culturally accepted behavior (Arredondo, Weddige, Justice, & Fitz, 1987; R. M. Gil & Vasquez, 1996; Rebach, 1992).Research suggests that acculturation, or the process by which minorities adjust to a majority culture, is related to a number of health-related difficulties experienced by Latinos (Barnes, 1979). Alcohol consumption is one such outcome that has been found to be associated with acculturation-related concepts (Caetano, 1989;Gilbert & Cervantes, 1986;Johnson, Gruenewald, Treno, & Taff, 1998). Despite the increasing attention that acculturation has received for understanding the health-related behavior of Latinos, there is disagreement about how acculturation influences Latino health outcomes. Studies on acculturation and alcohol use report different relationships between the two variables. For example, some studies suggest that more acculturated Latinos drink less frequently and in smaller amounts relative to their less acculturated peers (Oetting, 1993 NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript adolescent alcohol consumption result from prolonged exposure to mainstream U.S. culture (Balcazar, Peterson, & Cobas, 1996; A. G. Gil, Wagner, & Vega, 2000;Lovato et al., 1994;. Still other studies suggest a curvilinear relationship: For adult Latino men, U.S. (as contrasted with foreign) nativity and moderate levels of acculturation are associated with higher levels of binge drinking (Caetano & Clark, 2003). Finally, some studies suggest that there is no direct relationship between acculturation and alcohol use and that other social psychological variables (e.g., social class) account for differences in the alcohol consumption behavior of Latinos (Barrett, Joe, & Simpson, 1991).Theoretical frameworks that focus on acculturation...

Trajectories of Acculturation and Enculturation in Relation to Heavy Episodic Drinking and Marijuana Use in a Sample of Mexican American Serious Juvenile Offenders

“…This finding is not necessarily inconsistent with the existing literature because most of the studies examining the linkage do not include monolingual Spanish speakers (i.e., Balcazar et al, 1996;Brooks et al, 1998;Carvajal et al, 1997;Epstein et al, 1996;Felix-Ortiz & Newcomb, 1995;Gil et al, 2000;Guilamo-Ramos et al, 2004;Marsiglia et al, 2004;Perez et al, 1980). Hence, it is difficult to know from the existing literature whether it is just enculturation, as represented by the use of Spanish language, or biculturalism that is truly protective.…”

“…Still others have found that the relation between acculturative status and substance use is more complex than previously understood (Guilamo-Ramos, Jaccard, Johansson, & Turrisi, 2004;Marsiglia et al, 2004). Latino adolescents from Spanish speaking homes reported heavier episodic drinking than Latino adolescents from English speaking homes (Guilamo-Ramos et al, 2004). However, this difference disappeared with greater levels of exposure to the U.S.…”

“…In contrast, Carvajal, Photiades, Evans, and Nash (1997) found no such association, although their measure of substance use was intentions to use substances in the future as opposed to current use. Still others have found that the relation between acculturative status and substance use is more complex than previously understood (Guilamo-Ramos, Jaccard, Johansson, & Turrisi, 2004;Marsiglia et al, 2004). Latino adolescents from Spanish speaking homes reported heavier episodic drinking than Latino adolescents from English speaking homes (Guilamo-Ramos et al, 2004).…”

Alcohol consumption change of English, French and Chinese speaking immigrants in Ottawa and Gatineau, Canada

“…Other study exhibit that first generation South Asians and linguistically acculturated Vietnamese were at an increased risk of binge drinking (Becerra et al 2013). However, Latino young immigrants with no prior history of alcohol consumption remained largely unaffected by these acculturation-related variables, but young immigrants with a previous history of alcohol consumption experienced greater likelihood of binge drinking as a function of the acculturation-related variables (Guilamo-Ramos et al 2004). …”

Relations Between Acculturation And Alcohol Use Among International Students

“…Social influences such as the pro-smoking, pro-alcohol use related social norms of the United States and the social acceptability of health risk behaviors in United States society also have been found to influence alcohol use behaviors among adolescent immigrants (Guilamo-Ramos, Jaccard, Johansson, & Tunisi, 2004), including international students (Unger et al, 2000).…”