Our new study published by the Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse is now available online. With over 300 Hispanic/Latino/a/x Americans, we tested to see how orientations to US mainstream culture and traditional Latino culture independently and jointly are linked to alcohol consumption and drinking-related problems among college students. When considered jointly, these cultural orientations tell us more about drinking behaviors than either culture alone: women and men undergraduate and graduate students who are disconnected from their heritage society and the mainstream American society are prone to drink at greater intensity than others, but do not necessarily experience more severe consequences from alcohol use. Perhaps these individuals do not have as many opportunities to engage in alcohol use than others who are more immersed in the US mainstream and their ethnic heritage environments. These findings suggest that cultures matter in considerations of health risk behaviors such as alcohol use.

This study is the first first-authored publication by second-year Ph.D. student, Savannah Pham. Congratulations!