Race Differences in the Association Between Binge Drinking and Treatment Among First-Time Justice-System-Impacted Youth.

AIMS: We aim to determine whether there are racial/ethnic differences in the association between binge drinking frequency and community-based alcohol treatment among justice-system-impacted adolescents and young adults. METHODS: We examined whether race/ethnicity moderated the relation between binge drinking and youths' likelihood of receiving alcohol treatment. The sample included 1216 male, first-time-arrested youth from the Crossroads Study (2011-2018). Participants were recruited from CA, PA and LA. RESULTS: Among youth who binge drank occasionally, Black youth were less likely to receive alcohol treatment than White (b = -0.08, 95% confidence interval [CI] [-0.13, -0.04]) and Hispanic/Latino (b = -0.06, 95% CI [-0.09, -0.02]) youth. There were no differences between the White and Hispanic/Latino youth. Black youth who were frequent binge drinkers were as likely to receive alcohol treatment as White youth who binge drank significantly less often. There were no racial/ethnic differences in alcohol treatment at the highest level of binge drinking. CONCLUSION: Black youth who binge drink occasionally are less likely than White youth to receive alcohol treatment. The present findings highlight a need for efforts to mitigate racial disparities in access to or motivations to seek community-based treatment.

Belief in the myth of an American Indian/Alaska Native biological vulnerability to alcohol problems among reservation-dwelling participants with a substance use problem.

BACKGROUND: Belief in the myth of an American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN)-specific biological vulnerability (BV) to alcohol problems is associated with worse alcohol outcomes among AIAN college students who drink, despite also being associated with greater attempts to reduce drinking. This study examined the association of belief in a BV with alcohol use among reservation-dwelling AI adults with a substance use problem. METHODS: Participants (n = 141) who drank alcohol in the past 90 days were selected from a larger AI sample who self-identified as having a substance use problem. Moderated-mediation analyses examined whether belief in a BV was positively associated with alcohol- and substance use-related consequences and whether self-efficacy and craving mediated the association of belief in a BV with alcohol use. RESULTS: Among participants who reported using alcohol but not hard drugs (e.g., methamphetamine, opioids), greater belief in a BV was associated with more drinking days, which in turn was associated with greater alcohol-related consequences. Among participants who used alcohol only, belief in a BV was also significantly associated with greater craving, and in turn with more drinking days. Among individuals who used both alcohol and hard drugs, greater belief in a BV was associated with fewer drinking days, but was not significantly associated with substance use-related consequences. No association was found between belief in a BV and self-efficacy to avoid alcohol or drug use. CONCLUSIONS: Among individuals who use only alcohol, belief in a BV may contribute to more drinking days and greater alcohol-related consequences through its association with greater craving. This study provides further evidence of the potential harm of internalizing the belief that being AIAN contributes to the risk for alcohol problems, a notion that lacks scientific evidence despite decades of research. The findings highlight the importance of combating societal myths regarding AIAN peoples and the internalization of these stereotypes.

Intersections Of Neighborhood Co-Ethnic Density and Nativity Status On Heavy Drinking In a General Population Sample Of US Latinos and Asians.

AIMS: Greater neighborhood co-ethnic density (living in proximity with people sharing an ethnicity) and being foreign-born each can protect against risky drinking, but little is known about whether these two factors interact. Using a representative sample of Latinos and Asians from California, USA, we investigate main and interactive effects of neighborhood co-ethnic density and nativity status in relation to heavy episodic drinking (HED). METHODS: This study uses the California Health Interview Survey (N = 30,203) linked with neighborhood data to investigate associations of co-ethnic density and nativity status with HED. Co-ethnic density was based on matching each respondent's ethnicity to the proportion of residents of the corresponding group in their Census tract. Using weighted logistic regression, we first examined main effects of neighborhood co-ethnic density and respondent nativity status on HED. Next, we assessed the interaction of co-ethnic density and nativity status. Finally, we estimated nativity-stratified models to investigate variation in effects of co-ethnic density. RESULTS: Co-ethnic density was not associated with HED for the full sample, but US-born nativity status was associated with increased odds of past-year HED. The interaction model showed co-ethnic density and nativity had synergistic effects, whereby greater levels of neighborhood co-ethnic density buffered risk associated with being US-born. Further, greater neighborhood co-ethnic density was associated with reduced odds of HED for US-born respondents, but it was not associated with HED for foreign-born respondents. CONCLUSIONS: Protective effects of high neighborhood co-ethnic density on HED are stronger for US-born than for foreign-born Latinos and Asians in California.

Longer time spent at home during COVID-19 pandemic is associated with binge drinking among US adults.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced and exacerbated stressors (e.g., job loss, poor mental health) for adults across the United States (US) since the first statewide shelter-in-place order on March 19, 2020. Limited research has evaluated if, and how, pandemic-related stressors are associated with changes in alcohol consumption and binge drinking.Objectives: This analysis aims to identify COVID-19-related stressors associated with changes in alcohol consumption and binge drinking since the outbreak of the coronavirus.Methods: Data were collected on sociodemographics, alcohol consumption, and COVID-19-related stressors (household composition, job status, essential worker, stay-at-home duration, and depression) using a web-based, self-report survey to US adults from mid-March to mid-April 2020. Multivariable logistic and multinomial regression models were used to assess associations between COVID-19-related stressors and binge drinking and changes in alcohol consumption. Among 1,982 participants, 69% were female and 31% male.Results: Thirty-four percent of the sample reported binge drinking during the COVID-19 pandemic. More binge drinkers increased alcohol consumption during the pandemic (60%) than non-binge drinkers (28%). After adjusting for sociodemographics, for every 1-week increase in time spent at home during the pandemic, there was 1.19 (95% CI: 1.06-1.34) greater odds of binge drinking. Additionally, binge drinkers with a previous diagnosis of depression and current depression symptoms had greater odds of increased alcohol consumption compared to those reporting no depression (AOR: 1.77, 95% CI: 1.16, 2.73).Conclusion: Specific COVID-19-related stressors are related to alcohol consumption. This highlights the ancillary and unintended effects of the COVID-19 pandemic which could have long-lasting population health consequences.

Alcohol consumption among older women in the United States.

Few studies have examined alcohol consumption among older women. Using the nationally representative National Survey on Drug Use and Health, we examined binge, moderate, and no alcohol consumption among women ages 50+ (n = 21,178). We calculated population prevalence by age and used multivariate logistic regression, controlling for seven sociodemographic factors. In adjusted results, women ages 65+ were more likely to have moderate or no alcohol consumption than those 50-64; Hispanic and African American women were more likely to engage in binge consumption than whites (all p < .01). More research is needed to understand binge alcohol consumption among older women in racial/ethnic minorities.

Racial Discrimination, Protective Parenting, and Binge Drinking Among Emerging Adult Black Men.

PURPOSE: Rural Black men experience escalating rates of binge drinking during emerging adulthood. We hypothesized that exposure to racial discrimination would predict growth in their binge-drinking trajectories and that protective parenting, including emotional and instrumental support and high expectations for success, would attenuate the influence of racial discrimination on growth in binge drinking. METHODS: Hypotheses were tested with 3 waves of data from 505 men (ages 20.3, 21.9, and 23.1) participating in the African American Men's Project. Conditional and multigroup latent growth curve models (LGCMs) were implemented using Mplus. RESULTS: LGCM indicated that binge-drinking frequency increased linearly across time; exposure to racial discrimination at baseline predicted growth in binge drinking (ß = 0.19, p < 0.01). Multigroup comparison procedures indicated significant moderation by protective parenting. When protective parenting was high, racial discrimination had no significant influence on rates of young men's binge drinking (ß = 0.01, p = 0.51). In contrast, when protective parenting was low, the influence of discrimination was heightened (ß = 0.21, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Racial discrimination is a pernicious stressor that contributes to increases in binge drinking among young Black men. When parents engaged in emotionally and instrumentally supportive parenting, however, racial discrimination had little influence on binge-drinking trajectories during emerging adulthood. Study findings underscore the importance of the emerging adult transition as a period of vulnerability and suggest directions for targeting alcohol preventive interventions. IMPLICATIONS AND CONTRIBUTION: After high school, young Black men are exposed to racial discrimination that can increase rates of binge drinking. When young men's parents were emotionally and instrumentally supportive toward them, however, racial discrimination did not predict increases in binge drinking.

A Comparison of Excessive Drinking, Binge Drinking and Alcohol Dependence in Ethnic Minority Groups in the Netherlands: The HELIUS Study.

BACKGROUND: The Dutch multi-ethnic Healthy Life in an Urban Setting study recently showed that alcohol consumption was lower in ethnic minority groups than those of Dutch origin, but that binge drinking in drinkers of Turkish and Moroccan origin was relatively high. The aim of the current study is to examine factors that may contribute to the differences in drinking patterns and how they relate to the relationship between drinking patterns and alcohol dependence (AD) across ethnic groups. METHODS: The rate of last year alcohol use, alcohol use patterns and AD was assessed in 4,635 Dutch, 4,317 Moroccan, 4,036 Turkish, 2,459 Ghanaian, 4,426 African Surinamese and 3,357 South-Asian Surinamese participants (both men and women) born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. RESULTS: Compared to the Dutch, the prevalence of (regular) drinking is substantially lower in all ethnic minority groups and regular drinkers among most ethnic minority groups have a lower adjusted risk to develop binge drinking and AD than the Dutch. For the prevalence of regular drinking, the ethnic differences are bigger than for the prevalence of current drinking. However, regular drinkers of Moroccan origin have a risk similar to the Dutch to develop binge drinking and AD; a finding that could not be explained by group differences in age, sex, religiosity, perceived discrimination, depression or guilt feelings about drinking. DISCUSSION: The prevalence data show that current drinking is lower and that regular drinking is much lower in ethnic minorities and - with the exception of those of Moroccan origin - ethnic minority regular drinkers also have a significant lower risk to develop binge drinking or AD than regular drinkers of Dutch origin. This implies that the magnitude of problematic alcohol use is substantially smaller in ethnic minorities than in the ethnic Dutch population of Amsterdam. Unfortunately, no explanation was found for the special risk situation of regular drinkers of Moroccan origin.

U.S. adolescent alcohol use by race/ethnicity: Consumption and perceived need to reduce/stop use.

Understanding racial/ethnic drinking patterns and service provision preferences is critical for deciding how best to use limited alcohol prevention, intervention, and treatment resources. We used nationally representative data from 150,727 U.S. high school seniors from 2005 to 2016 to examine differences in a range of alcohol use behaviors and the felt need to reduce or stop alcohol use based on detailed racial/ethnic categories, both before and after controlling for key risk/protective factors. Native students reported particularly high use but corresponding high felt need to reduce/stop use. White and dual-endorsement students reported high use but low felt need to stop/reduce alcohol use.

Substance Use Outcomes for Hispanic Emerging Adults Exposed to Incarceration of a Household Member during Childhood.

This study investigates whether Hispanic emerging adults exposed to household incarceration before age 18 report higher rates of past 30-day cigarette, alcohol, binge drinking, marijuana use, and negative substance use consequences, relative to participants not exposed to incarceration of a household member. Respondents were matched on key characteristics to create balanced groups of exposed and nonexposed respondents. Negative binomial regression models assessed primary research questions. There were significant long-term associations between household incarceration and the frequency of past 30-day binge drinking, marijuana use, and number of negative substance use consequences. Policies and health programs addressing household incarceration may be a promising prevention approach to reduce negative substance use outcomes among Hispanic emerging adults.

Relevance of the "Immigrant Health Paradox" for the Health of Arab Americans in California.

Objectives. To assess the validity of the immigrant health paradox among Arab Americans in California.Methods. We used data from the 2003 to 2017 California Health Interview Survey (n = 1425). We used survey-weighted χ2 and logistic regression analyses to compare Arabs by immigrant generation on socioeconomic indicators, health behaviors, and health outcomes.Results. Second-generation Arab Americans had higher odds of binge drinking (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.26; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.53, 6.94) in the past year than did first-generation Arab Americans. Third-generation Arab Americans had greater odds of receiving the influenza vaccine in the past year (AOR = 3.29; 95% CI = 1.09, 9.98) than did second-generation Arab Americans. Third-generation Arab Americans had increased odds of being overweight or obese when compared with first- (AOR = 2.59; 95% CI = 1.02, 6.58) and second-generation Arab Americans (AOR = 3.22; 95% CI = 1.25, 8.29), respectively.Conclusions. Alcohol use increased across immigrant generations, and we observed no differences in health outcomes, other than obesity. The immigrant health paradox does not appear to apply to Arab Americans in California; mechanisms that generate health in this population should be studied further.

Racial discrimination, binge drinking, and negative drinking consequences among black college students: serial mediation by depressive symptoms and coping motives.

Objectives: Experiences of racial discrimination have been associated with diverse negative health outcomes among racial minorities. However, extant findings of the association between racial discrimination and alcohol behaviors among Black college students are mixed. The current study examined mediating roles of depressive symptoms and coping drinking motives in the association of perceived racial discrimination with binge drinking and negative drinking consequences. Design: Data were obtained from a cross-sectional study of Black college students attending a predominantly White institution in the northeastern US (N = 251, 66% female, mean age = 20 years). Results: Results from path analysis showed that, when potential mediators were not considered, perceived racial discrimination was positively associated with negative drinking consequences but not frequency of binge drinking. Serial multiple mediation analysis showed that depressive symptoms and in turn coping drinking motives partially mediated the associations of perceived racial discrimination with both binge drinking frequency and negative drinking consequences (after controlling for sex, age, and negative life events). Conclusions: Perceived racial discrimination is directly associated with experiences of alcohol-related problems, but not binge drinking behaviors among Black college students. Affective responses to perceived racial discrimination experiences and drinking to cope may serve as risk mechanisms for alcohol-related problems in this population. Implications for prevention and intervention efforts are discussed.

Risk Factors Related to Binge Drinking: A Comparative Study of American and South Korean Adolescents.

The characteristics of and risk factors associated with binge drinking among South Korean and American adolescents were identified in this study. Data on adolescents in the 9th to 12th grades were extracted from two nationwide data sets: the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey System and the U.S. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. Binge drinking was observed among 16% of American adolescents during the past month and among 11.6% of Korean adolescents during the past year. For adolescents from both countries, the following seven similar significant factors were associated with binge drinking: female gender, higher grade, fighting-related injury experience, current cigarette smoking, preteen smoking initiation, participation in team sports, and depression. Among Korean adolescents, higher or lower level of academic achievement and inadequate sleep were additional unique factors associated with binge drinking. These results could be useful for developing interventions for adolescents engaging in binge drinking in both countries.

Changing Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Heavy Drinking Trajectories Through Young Adulthood: A Comparative Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: There is evidence of racial/ethnic differences in the age at which young adults age out of heavy drinking. Some studies have found Black and Hispanic drinkers engage in more frequent heavy drinking than White people beyond adulthood. Yet, the alcohol-related disparities literature has produced contradictory findings on whether an age-crossover effect is evident among racial/ethnic groups; that is, whether racial/ethnic minorities' drinking levels or trajectories are lower than White people at young ages but later exceed (or crossover) those of White people. This study extends this scant literature by assessing whether racial/ethnic differences in heavy drinking have changed over time (possibly accounting for mixed findings from prior research); and tests for an age-crossover effect in heavy drinking using longitudinal data from 2 cohorts born 20 years apart. METHODS: Data are from the 1979 (n = 10,963) and 1997 (n = 8,852) cohorts of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY). Generalized estimating equations were used to model trajectories of heavy drinking frequency from ages 17 to 31. Racial/ethnic differences were determined using sex-stratified models and 3-way interactions of race/ethnicity with age, age-squared, and cohort. RESULTS: Racial/ethnic differences in heavy drinking trajectories have changed over time in men and women. In the older NLSY cohort, Hispanic men and Black women surpassed White men's and women's heavy drinking frequency by age 31. This crossover was absent in the younger cohort, where trajectories of all racial-sex groups converged by age 31. Normative trajectories have changed in Hispanics and White people of both sexes, with a delay in age of peak frequency, and greater levels of heavy drinking in the younger cohort of women. CONCLUSIONS: Changes in heavy drinking trajectories over time suggest the need for targeted interventions during young adulthood. While disparities in young adult heavy drinking were no longer apparent in the more recent birth cohort, continued monitoring is important.

Traditional Gender Roles and the Stress-Alcohol Relationship among Latina/o College Students.

BACKGROUND: Latina/o college students have been shown to engage in more high risk drinking behavior than students from other ethnic minority groups, and are more likely to experience certain negative alcohol related consequences as a result of drinking. Previous research links stress to drinking among college students and indicates drinking occurs within a gendered context. Although this suggests an effect of gender role socialization, studies exploring these relationships among Latina/os are lacking. OBJECTIVES: To explore potential relationships of stress, gender role prescriptions of the heritage culture, and drinking among Latina/o college students. Specifically, to explore potential interactions between stress and multiple dimensions of machismo and marianismo as related to alcohol use. METHOD: Latina/o undergraduates (N = 248) completed a questionnaire. Self-reported stress, quantity of alcohol consumption, and frequency of binge drinking were recorded for all participants. Gender role prescriptions were assessed via endorsement of two dimensions of machismo (men) or two dimensions of marianismo (women). RESULTS: Stress was positively related to general quantity for women. Each dimension of machismo was distinctly related to binge drinking for men. Significant interactions emerged between both machismo and marianismo and stress as related to both alcohol use outcomes. For women, the moderating pattern between marianismo and stress varied according to type of alcohol use. Conclusions/Importance: Gender role beliefs influence the relationship between stress and alcohol use among Latina/o college students. Future research should account for the intersection of gender and culture when considering the stress-alcohol relationship.

Emotion dysregulation as a mechanism linking anxiety and hazardous drinking among Latinos in primary care.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Research suggests that Latinos experience significantly more mental health and alcohol use problems than non-Latino whites. However, relatively little is known about the mechanisms underlying alcohol use in this population. One factor associated with excessive alcohol use in Latinos is anxiety. A potential explanatory mechanism for this relationship is emotion dysregulation, as emotion dysregulation in the context of anxiety may lead to alcohol use problems/disorders. The aim of the current study was to examine the indirect effect of anxiety, through emotion dysregulation, on drinking severity and probable hazardous drinking in Latinos. METHODS: Latino adults (N = 264) were recruited from a primary care health clinic as part of a larger ongoing study examining mental health among Latinos in primary care. Participants were interviewed using the MINI and then completed various self-report assessments (in Spanish). Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate model fit. RESULTS: Structural models fit the data well. Additionally, there were statistically significant indirect effects of anxiety via emotion dysregulation on drinking severity and probable screen for hazardous drinking. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Anxiety may contribute to alcohol use problems due to an overall tendency to engage in maladaptive attempts to regulate emotions. SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE: Targeting emotion dysregulation in the context of anxiety and hazardous alcohol use among Latinos may be one therapeutic strategy to reduce severity of alcohol use (and hazardous drinking). (Am J Addict 2017;26:615-622).

Differences by gender at twelve months in a brief intervention trial among Mexican-origin young adults in the emergency department.

In this study, we investigate the role of gender in prevalence and consequences of binge drinking and brief intervention outcomes among Mexican-origin young adults aged 18-30 years at the U.S.-Mexico border. We conducted a secondary analysis, stratified by gender, from a randomized controlled trial of a brief motivational intervention in a hospital emergency department. Intervention effects for males included reductions in drinking frequency, binge drinking, and alcohol-related consequences. For females the intervention was associated with reduction in drinking frequency and binge drinking but did not have a significant effect on alcohol-related consequences. Results suggest a new direction for tailoring interventions to gender.

Neighborhood Context and Binge Drinking by Race and Ethnicity in New York City.

BACKGROUND: Neighborhood context is associated with binge drinking and has significant health, societal, and economic costs. Both binge drinking and neighborhood context vary by race and ethnicity. We examined the relations between neighborhood characteristics--neighborhood norms that are accepting of drunkenness, collective efficacy, and physical disorder--and binge drinking, with a focus on examining race and ethnic-specific relationships. METHODS: Respondent data were collected through 2005 random digit-dial-telephone survey for a representative sample of New York City residents; neighborhood data were based on the 2005 New York City Housing and Vacancy Survey. Participants were 1,415 past-year drinkers; Whites (n = 877), Blacks (n = 292), and Hispanics (n = 246). Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate population average models. RESULTS: For the overall sample, neighborhood norms that were more accepting of drunkenness were associated with greater binge drinking (odds ratio [OR] = 1.22; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09, 1.37); collective efficacy and physical disorder were not significant. However, when examining this by race/ethnicity, greater collective efficacy (OR = 0.75; 95% CI = 0.62, 0.91) and greater physical disorder (OR = 0.76; 95% CI = 0.62, 0.93) were associated with less binge drinking for Whites only. Neighborhood norms that were more accepting of drunkenness were associated with binge drinking among Whites (OR = 1.20; 95% CI = 1.05, 1.38) and, while not significant (perhaps due to power), the associations were similar for Hispanics (OR = 1.18; 95% CI = 0.83, 1.68) and slightly lower for Blacks (OR = 1.11; 95% CI = 0.67, 1.84). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, results suggest that neighborhood characteristics and binge drinking are shaped, in part, by factors that vary across race/ethnicity. Thus, disaggregating data by race/ethnicity is important in understanding binge drinking behaviors.

Exposure to Alcohol Use in Motion Pictures and Teen Drinking in Latin America.

BACKGROUND: Our objective was to assess whether exposure to alcohol use in films (AUF) is associated with alcohol use susceptibility, current alcohol use, and binge drinking in adolescents from 2 Latin American countries. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study with 13,295 middle school students from public and private schools in Mexico and Argentina. Exposure to alcohol use in over 400 contemporary top box office films in each country was estimated using previously validated methods. Outcome measures included current drinking (i.e., any drink in the last 30 days), ever binge drinking (i.e., more than 4 or 5 drinks in a row for females and males, respectively) and, among never drinkers, alcohol susceptibility (i.e., might drink in the next year or accept a drink from a friend). Multivariate models were adjusted for age, sex, parental education, peer drinking, sensation seeking, parenting style, and media access. RESULTS: Mean age was 12.5 years (SD = 0.7), and the prevalence of alcohol consumption and binge drinking was 19.8 and 10.9%, respectively. Mean exposure to alcohol from the film sample was about 7 hours in both countries. Adjusted models indicated independent dose-response associations between higher levels of exposure to AUF and all outcomes; the adjusted odds ratios (aORs) comparing quartiles 4 and 1, 1.99 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.73 to 2.30) for current drinking, aOR 1.68 (CI 1.39 to 2.02) for binge drinking, and aOR 1.80 (1.52 to 2.12) for alcohol susceptibility. Compared to Mexican adolescents, Argentine adolescents were significantly more likely to have engaged in binge drinking (aOR 1.40, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.76) and, among never drinkers, were more susceptible to try drinking (aOR 1.40, 95% CI 1.20 to 1.64). CONCLUSIONS: Higher levels of exposure to AUF were associated with higher likelihood of alcohol use, binge drinking, and alcohol susceptibility in Latin American adolescents.

Alcohol use among Hispanic college students along the US/Mexico border.

BACKGROUND: The trend of alcohol use among college students has been shown to vary by ethnicity and has been linked to acculturation among Hispanics. Consistent findings indicate that males consume alcohol more frequently and in greater quantities compared to females. OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the drinking habits of Hispanic college students living in the border region of South Texas. The study evaluated the influence of acculturation on alcohol consumption among Hispanic males and females. METHODS: Two hundred and ninety-six Hispanic students participated in this study. The participants reported their drinking behaviors over the past 30 days and completed a measure of acculturation. RESULTS: Fifty-nine percent of the participants reported consuming alcohol in the past 30 days with more males than females reporting alcohol consumption. Logistic regression analysis indicated that age and gender, and not acculturation or enculturation, predicted drinking in the last 30 days. Among drinkers, the regression analyses indicated that gender and lower levels of Anglo orientation were linked to increased alcohol consumption, suggesting that Hispanics who were less oriented toward the Anglo culture consumed more alcohol than those more oriented toward the Anglo culture. Among drinkers, males and females did not differ in frequency or binge drinking, but males consumed more alcohol than females. CONCLUSION: Previous research indicates that greater acculturation is linked to greater consumption of alcohol; however, we found it to be associated with less consumption. The findings regarding gender represent some consistencies with previous research but there are some inconsistencies as well. These results suggest that less acculturated Hispanic male college students residing in the border region may be at a higher risk of alcohol abuse than Hispanic female students and more acculturated male students.

Risk and protective factors for heavy binge alcohol use among American Indian adolescents utilizing emergency health services.

BACKGROUND: American Indian (AI) adolescents are disproportionately burdened by alcohol abuse and heavy binge use, often leading to problematic drinking in adulthood. However, many AI communities also have large proportions of adults who abstain from alcohol. OBJECTIVE: To understand these concurrent and divergent patterns, we explored the relationship between risk and protective factors for heavy binge alcohol use among a reservation-based sample of AI adolescents. METHODS: Factors at individual, peer, family, and cultural/community levels were examined using a cross-sectional case-control study design. Cases were adolescents with recent heavy binge alcohol use that resulted in necessary medical care. Controls had no lifetime history of heavy binge alcohol use. 68 cases and 55 controls were recruited from emergency health services visits. Participants were 50% male; average age 15.4 years old, range 10 to 19. Independent variables were explored using logistic regression; those statistically significant were combined into a larger multivariate model. RESULTS: Exploratory analyses showed adolescents who were aggressive, impulsive, had deviant peers, poor family functioning or more people living at home were at greater risk for heavy binge alcohol use. Protective factors included attending school, family closeness, residential stability, social problem-solving skills, having traditional AI values and practices, and strong ethnic identity. Confirmatory analysis concluded that school attendance and residential stability reduce the probability of heavy binge alcohol use, even among those already at low risk. CONCLUSIONS: Findings deepen the understanding of AI adolescent heavy binge alcohol use and inform adolescent intervention development fostering trajectories to low-risk drinking and abstinence.