Linking alcohol-specific masculine norms and drinking behavior among Latino men.

Abstract

A robust literature suggests men typically engage in more general and heavy alcohol use than women, and that many health disparities related to drinking are more prevalent among Latino men compared with non-Latino White men. Researchers posit that adherence to masculine gender role scripts may be one reason men choose to drink alcohol. To date, research linking masculinity to drinking among Latinos has been mixed and has used broad measures for masculinity that are arguably quite distal from alcohol outcomes. Thus, the primary aim of this study was to prospectively examine the link between previous bidimensional conceptualizations of masculinity among Latino men (i.e., machismo) and drinking while incorporating a more proximal, alcoholspecific measure of masculinity. Using data collected from two time points, results indicated that baseline endorsements of masculine norms characterized by drinking to excess were robustly related to both general and problematic alcohol use 6 months later. Conversely, baseline endorsements of masculine norms characterized by controlled drinking were related to later reductions of alcohol-related problems. Broader bidimensional measures of machismo (i.e., traditional machismo and caballerismo) at baseline were also included in each model and were unrelated to later general and problematic drinking. These data suggest there is merit to employing masculinity scales that more specifically capture the role of masculinity on alcohol outcomes among Latino emerging adults. In doing this, findings pertaining to masculinity and drinking may be more easily translated into prevention and intervention settings. Public Significance StatementNumerous studies support the notion that men are socialized through environmental masculine norms to believe drinking-particularly to excess-is a characteristic of manhood, but masculinity measures typically used in the literature are broad and distal, which may render drawing specific conclusions about the link between masculine norms and drinking somewhat difficult. In this study of Latino men, we examine the relations between a broad measure of masculinity often used in alcohol research (e.g., machismo) and drinking, while also including a measure of alcohol-specific masculine norms. By increasing the specificity of the masculine norms measures as related to alcohol use, findings can be more easily applied to prevention and intervention settings.

Men’s and women’s endorsement of hegemonic masculinity and responses to COVID-19

“…These risky, health-related behaviors include binge drinking and substance abuse (e.g. Liu and Iwamoto, 2007; Peralta, 2007; Perrotte et al, 2020), risky sexual practices (e.g. Mahalik et al, 2006; Parmenter et al, 2020), physical fighting (e.g.…”

Masculine drinking norms and alcohol use in a national sample of NCAA male student-athletes.

“…To advance researchers’ and practitioners’ understanding of masculine norms and their associations with alcohol use, Perrotte et al (2020) created the Masculine Drinking Norms Measure (MDNM). The MDNM was adapted from the Traditional Machismo and Caballerismo Scale (TMCS; Arciniega et al, 2008).…”

“…However, unlike the CMNI, the TMCS also measures caballerismo , which is considered to be a more adaptive dimension of masculinity and is characterized by traits such as respect, nurturance, and polite etiquette. Perrotte et al (2020) relied on the concept underlying the TMCS to measure how norms around drinking for men can be maladaptive (i.e., through excessive drinking) or adaptive (i.e., through exerting behavioral control while drinking). These gender role scripts align with Klein’s (1992) early work with college students which indicated that compared to women, men reported higher levels of agreement with the statement that “a real man should be able to hold his liquor” than women.…”

Correlates of Alcohol Use Likelihood for Latino Immigrant Youth in an Emerging Context

“…Recent work also found that immigration‐related stress exerted a stronger influence on alcohol use severity among men than women (Cano et al., 2017). A common explanation is that gender social norms, including among Latinos (Perrotte et al., 2020), influence differences in gender‐specific alcohol use such that drinking alcohol is often normalized and reinforced among men but considered inappropriate for many women (Kulis et al., 2012). In addition to gender, time spent in U.S. residency correlates with increased alcohol use among Latino immigrant populations (Martinez et al., 2011; Salas‐Wright et al., 2014).…”