Association Between Acculturative Stress and Drinking Among Hispanic/Latino Immigrant Undergraduates Moderated by Drinking to Cope and Social Norms

Social Influences and Health Behaviors Lab:Purpose: Past literature has demonstrated that acculturative stress is associated with drinking among immigrants while overestimating peer drinking is associated with drinking among college students. Additionally, normalized alcohol use could be related to coping motives. The present study aimed to determine if the association between acculturative stress and drinking among Hispanic/Latino immigrant undergraduates is moderated by drinking to cope and social norms. We hypothesized that acculturative stress is positively associated with drinking outcomes. We further expected associations between acculturative stress and drinking to be stronger for those who endorsed drinking to cope and for those who reported higher perceived drinking norms. Methods: Undergraduates who identified as Hispanic/Latino (N=112) completed a one-time, online survey. Participants answered measures of acculturative stress, drinking norms, and drinking behaviors (weekly drinks and alcohol-related consequences). Results: Acculturative stress was not uniquely associated with either drinking outcome. Drinking to cope was positively associated with both weekly drinks (b=0.969, p=.010) and alcohol-related consequences (b=1.590, p=.002). Drinking norms were negatively associated with alcohol-related consequences (b=-0.121, p=.021). A significant interaction between acculturative stress and drinking norms (b=.001, p=.049) suggested that the negative association between acculturative stress and alcohol-related consequences was stronger among those who reported lower norms. Conclusion: Our results indicated that acculturative stress was not associated with drinking outcomes. The immigrant paradox or unmeasured protective factors could have influenced the findings. Future studies should explore different drinking motives and acculturative stress among immigrant adults.