Research & Resources

This study aimed to determine the influence of family history of alcohol use on current alcohol use among Latino immigrants and the influence of alcohol outcome expectancies (AOEs)—beliefs about the effects of drinking alcohol—and acculturation on this relationship. Data from the Recent Latino Immigrant Study, the first community-based cohort study to examine pre- to post-immigration alcohol use trajectories of young adult Latino immigrants, was used to assess the association between various pre- and post-immigration factors and alcohol use among Latino immigrants. Participants were 518 young adult Latino immigrants, with 18.7% reporting a family history of alcohol use. Young adults who had a family history of alcohol use and individuals with greater positive AOEs experienced higher Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores compared to those who did not have a family history of alcohol use. Family cohesion proved protective against alcohol use, while endorsement of Americanism was associated with increased alcohol use. These results provide the framework for more in-depth exploration regarding the influences of family history of alcohol use, AOEs, and acculturation on alcohol use among Latino immigrants.

This paper, “Alcohol use severity among recent Latino immigrants: Associations of acculturation, family history of alcohol use and alcohol outcome expectancies,” was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) and published in the Journal of ethnicity in substance abuse.