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College Drinking among Latinos(as) in the United States and Mexico
Author(s) -
Ceballos Natalie A.,
Czyzewska Maria,
Croyle Kristin
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the american journal on addictions
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.997
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1521-0391
pISSN - 1055-0496
DOI - 10.1111/j.1521-0391.2012.00269.x
Subject(s) - acculturation , alcohol consumption , suicide prevention , alcohol abuse , demography , medicine , psychology , injury prevention , environmental health , poison control , gerontology , alcohol , immigration , psychiatry , geography , sociology , biochemistry , chemistry , archaeology
Background and Objectives: Existing studies of Latino(a) college students in the United States suggest that self‐reported alcohol consumption tends to be higher among males, and that drinking among Latinas is often influenced by social and contextual factors. The current study extended this work by examining both self‐reported drinking levels and predictors of drinking among Latino(a) college students in the United States and Mexico (MX). Methods: Latino(a) college students (N = 376) from three universities in the South Central United States and Northern Mexico completed pencil‐and‐paper surveys about alcohol. Results: US Latino students (vs. MX males), reported drinking more frequently and had more positive expectancies about alcohol. Latinas in the United States (vs. MX females) were more likely to report regular drinking. Across countries, both female gender and the Mexican orientation component of acculturation predicted lower reported alcohol consumption. Positive expectancies about drinking predicted increased drinking. Conclusions and Scientific Significance: Self‐reported college drinking and expectancies about alcohol may differ subtly among individuals in the United States and Mexico based on gender and endorsement of traditional Mexican values. These findings could ultimately be applied to the development of more tailored programs for the treatment and prevention of alcohol abuse on college campuses. (Am J Addict 2012;21:544–549)