Thursday, October 20, 2016

What are views of Hispanic culture on alcohol use disorders?

Typically, sociologists studying alcohol use disorders (AUD) among Hispanics, the largest ethnic minority in the U.S., have treated this group as a heterogenous unit, which is misleading given that cultural difference among the subgroups correlate to diverse incidences of AUD. For example, a study by Rios-Badoya and Freile-Salines, revealed that Puerto Ricans and Mexican-Americans demonstrate the highest incidences of AUD, whereas Cuban-Americans and South/Central Americans have significantly lower rates. The reasons for these variations can be attributed to several factors, including cultural attitudes towards drinking. A case in point: in Puerto Rico, views on alcohol consumption are even more liberal than U.S. attitudes, which means that this subgroup might more easily gravitate towards AUD under environmental stress factors like acculturation problems to a new lifestyle or struggles to find appropriate work. Similarly, Mexicans culturally embrace 'fiesta drinking', which corresponds to less frequent but very heavy drinking, resulting in a predisposition for AUD. Furthermore, compared to other subgroups, a large percentile of the Mexican-American population is here illegally in the pursuit of a better life, a psychological stress which could increase the risk of AUD. In contrast, many Cuban-Americans are political refugees with more privileged social status/economic backgrounds/education levels, which often equates to a resistance to AUD. Thus, views of Hispanic culture on alcohol use disorders vary across subgroups and in response to the specific immigrant experience and socio-economic status each holds. 
 
https://academic.oup.com/alcalc/article/49/5/549/121009

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