Check out our newest publication in the Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse on alcohol use and misuse among Hispanic/Latinx college students living at the United States-Mexico border. ADAPT’s director, Dr. Lui, is the main author on this paper. This is the first study that simultaneously includes Hispanics’ reasons for drinking and cultural orientations as predictors of drinking outcomes. We found that self-reported alcohol-related problems among Hispanic college students at the border were uniquely associated with coping and mood enhancement motivations. Although previous research showed that mainstream U.S. orientation was linked to greater alcohol consumption in Hispanics, higher endorsement of U.S. orientation was predictive of lower levels of drinking, over and above drinking motives. Findings suggest that the possible impact of cultural orientation was different at the border where Mexican and Anglo American culture intermix, and present unique social and cultural challenges. The study highlights the importance of considering both individual difference factors such as beliefs about drinking and sociocultural influences to contextualize alcohol use behaviors.
