Multidimensional Acculturation, Acculturative Stress and Alcohol or Drug Use of Adult Latinx Immigrants

ABSTRACT

Few studies have used a multidimensional acculturation framework, i.e., cultural practices, identity, and values, to investigate links with alcohol or drug use of Latinx immigrants to the U.S. This cross-sectional study tested links between measures of acculturation (language-based Hispanicism and Americanism, cultural identity, familism), acculturative stress, and alcohol or drug use, controlling for age and gender. 391 adult (18–44 years old) Latinx immigrants (69% women) completed measures on past 6-month behavior in Spanish or English. Results showed that Americanism was related to alcohol use severity, heavy episodic drinking, drug use severity, and any drug use. Acculturative stress was related to alcohol use severity, drug use severity, and any drug use, but not heavy episodic drinking. Familism was inversely related to drug use severity and any drug use, but not alcohol use severity or heavy episodic drinking. Cultural identity and Hispanicism were not related to alcohol or drug use. Consistent with previous research, a language-based measure of acculturation to the U.S. (Americanism) and acculturative stress were related to alcohol and drug use. Incremental validity of a multidimensional acculturation approach was limited. Intervention adaptations for Latinx immigrants should address stress reduction and mitigating adoption of receiving cultural practices.

KEYWORDS:

• Latinx/hispanic
• immigrants
• alcohol
• drugs
• acculturation
• acculturative stress

Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health R01MD012249 (Rosa M. Gonzalez-Guarda, Principal Investigator). Partial financial support for Qing Li is from University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus School of Medicine 2021 Slay Community Scholars. The authors are solely responsible for this article’s content and do not necessarily represent the official views official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities [R01MD012249]; University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus School of Medicine 2021 Slay Community Scholars [NA].