TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2013//
TI  - Alcohol use among recent Latino immigrants before and after immigration to the United States
JO  - American journal on addictions
A1  - De La Rosa, Mario
A1  - Dillon, Frank R.
A1  - Sastre, Francisco
A1  - Babino, Rosa
SP  - 162
EP  - 168
VL  - 22
IS  - 2
N2  - 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).<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1055-0496
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1521-0391.2013.00310.x
ID  - ref1
ER  -