Citation

De La Rosa M, Dillon FR, Sastre F, Babino R. Am. J. Addict. 2013; 22(2): 162-168.

Affiliation

Center for Substance Use and AIDS Research on Latinos in the United States, Florida International University, Miami, Florida.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1521-0391.2013.00310.x

PMID

23414503

Abstract

BACKGROUND: US-born Latinos have higher rates of alcohol use than Latinos who have immigrated to the United States. However, little is known about the pre-immigration drinking patterns of Latino immigrants or about the changes in their drinking behaviors in the 2 years post-immigration. OBJECTIVES: This article reports findings of a longitudinal study that compared rates of regular, binge, and heavy drinking among a cohort of recent Latino immigrants, ages 18-34, prior to immigration to the United States and in the 2 years post-immigration. METHODS: Baseline data were collected on the drinking patterns of 405 Latino immigrants living in the United States for 12 months or less. A follow-up assessment occurred during their second year in the United States. RESULTS: Findings indicate that number of days of drinking declined significantly post-immigration. Binge alcohol use (five or more drinks on the same occasion during the past 90 days) significantly declined during the post-immigration period. Heavy alcohol use (five or more drinks on the same occasion on five or more days during the past 90 days) also significantly decreased. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest a need for continued exploration of pre-immigration drinking patterns and research to uncover underlying factors associated with declines in rates of problematic alcohol use among recent Latino immigrants. SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE: The results of this study can aid in furthering our understanding of the alcohol use of Latino immigrants ages 18-34 prior to and post immigration to the United States to guide future research and the development of culturally tailored clinical interventions. (Am J Addict 2013;22:162-168).

Language: en