Neighborhoods, cultural factors, and alcohol use disorder

Purpose: Trends in heavy drinking among Hispanic young adults are shifting in the United States. Despite elevated risks for alcohol use disorder (AUD) and related problems among Hispanic populations, little work has examined cultural mechanisms to alcohol outcomes in the context of their neighborhood environments. This study examines how neighborhood environment factors (ethnic density and distance to the nearest border port of entry) and cultural factors (acculturative stress and ethnic identity) relate to AUD. Methods: The sample of 575 Mexican American men and women (aged 18 to 30) was recruited from San Diego County, California, USA. We assessed indirect effects of Mexican American ethnic density and distance to the nearest border port of entry on AUD through acculturative stress and ethnic identity. Multiple group path analysis was used to test sex differences. Results: While sex differences were not observed in the overall model, there were differential associations with focal variables for each group. For women, greater proportions of ethnic density and greater distance to the nearest port of entry both were negatively associated with AUD. For both women and men, acculturative stress was positively associated with AUD, and neighborhood environment indicators were not related to acculturative stress nor ethnic identity. Conclusions: These data may inform further studies to integrate social and cultural mechanisms in creation of place-based strategies for AUD prevention.