Acculturative stress as a moderator of the effect of drinking motives on alcohol use and problems among young adults

Abstract

Background Research has demonstrated a strong relationship between drinking motives and alcohol use among young adult populations. Further, there is substantial evidence of the association between psychosocial stressors and greater alcohol consumption. In the present study, we examined whether acculturative stress would moderate the relationship between major drinking motives and alcohol use behaviors and alcohol-related problems, and whether this relationship differs by racial/ethnic group. Method Six hundred diverse undergraduate students (Mean age = 21.50, SD = 2.46; 82.8% female; 40.2% White/Caucasian) completed a series of measures, including demographic information, alcohol use/alcohol problems, and acculturative stress. Results Findings showed varying patterns in the moderating effect of acculturative stress on the relationship between drinking motives and alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems, particularly for self-identified Hispanic, Black, and Asian students. Stronger drinking motives were associated with greater alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems, and this relationship was stronger among Asian and Hispanic students who reported higher levels of acculturative stress. For Black students, greater acculturative stress was observed to weaken the relationship between coping, enhancement, and conformity motives and alcohol drinking frequency. Conclusions Results are discussed in terms of incorporating acculturative stress in the development of tailored alcohol use interventions for vulnerable young adults, such as certain ethnic minority and immigrant groups. Clinical implications include screening for acculturative stress in primary care and counseling centers and early intervention programs to identify young adults who may be at-risk for or currently experiencing alcohol problems.

The “Why” of Drinking Matters: A Meta‐Analysis of the Association Between Drinking Motives and Drinking Outcomes

“…Fourth, this meta-analysis did not allow for the examination of gender differences in the relation between drinking motives and drinking outcomes. 8 Finally, drinking motives do not exist in a psychological vacuum, and their effects are likely to be moderated by several psychological phenomena, including internalizing psychopathology (e.g., depression; Grazioli et al, 2018), personality traits (e.g., impulsivity; Mezquita et al, 2010), and other life stressors (e.g., acculturative stress; Conn et al, 2017). Further research should address the potentially interactive roles of these phenomena and establish whether the effect sizes consistently vary based on sample type (e.g., clinical vs. undergraduate sample).…”

Acculturative stress and alcohol use among Latinx recruited from a primary care clinic: Moderations by emotion dysregulation.

“…The experience of acculturative stress is associated with a host of negative outcomes among Latinx such as anxiety and depression, and substance use including use of alcohol, specifically (Castillo et al, 2015; Crockett et al, 2007; Gil, Wagner, & Vega, 2000; Lui & Zamboanga, 2018; Zamboanga, Schwartz, Jarvis, & Van Tyne, 2009). For example, Hispanic/Latinx students reporting greater acculturative stress also report greater alcohol-related problems (Conn, Ejesi, & Foster, 2017). Yet, available work suggests that such relations may be complex and depend on a host of factors (e.g., age, place of birth; Gil et al, 2000).…”

Examine Internet Addiction and Acculturative Stress among International College Students in the United States

“…Specially, we were interested in the associations of acculturative stress with IA. Previous studies have shown that acculturative stress has been widely linked to addictive behaviors and psychological well-being among international college students (Conn et al, 2017;Jin & Berge, 2015;Li et al, 2013). Thus, I hypothesized that acculturative stress would significantly predict IA while individual-level variables (i.e., age, gender, and length of stay) were held constant.…”