Alcohol Use and Misuse among Hispanic Women in the US: Addressing Gaps in the Literature with a Multi- Method Approach

Texas State University, San Marcos TX

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Abstract

Hispanic Americans are disproportionately affected by alcohol-related health complications compared to non-Hispanic Whites [3]. There is compelling evidence that Hispanic women may be particularly at risk for experiencing some alcohol- related health problems compared to Hispanic men. Women are more likely to develop alcohol-related cirrhosis and are more likely to have brain damage from alcohol use than men [4]. Research also shows that Hispanic women and other racial and ethnic minority women may be less likely to seek treatment than non-Hispanic White women [7]. Research indicates that the gender gap in drinking among Hispanics is narrowing [5], and young Hispanic women are engaging in more hazardous alcohol behaviors [3]. The U.S. population of Hispanic girls and women is over 30 million [19]; thus, research examining alcohol use and misuse among Hispanic women must be a public health priority. I am an Assistant Professor at a supportive research-oriented Hispanic Serving Institution and committed to a lifelong career of conducting research designed to reduce alcohol-related health disparities among Hispanics. The training and research activities in this K01 application will address two major gaps in the literature on alcohol use among Hispanic women in the U.S. Specifically, more research is needed to understand the most current patterns of alcohol use and misuse among Hispanic women at the population level. Examinations of current national data devoted exclusively to U.S. Hispanic women is scarce, particularly relative to the size of the Hispanic population. Also, the small body of literature examining gender role norms in relation to alcohol use among Hispanic women is extremely limited, although this same literature highlights the importance of understanding this link. Current research cannot address how shifts in salient gender role expectations transmitted in a bicultural context relate to drinking (or abstaining) among Hispanic women. To effectively inform culturally tailored alcohol prevention and treatment programs that serve the U.S. population of Hispanic women, it is crucial for researchers to address these major gaps in the literature. To this end, I propose implementing complementary methods. First, I will use complex survey analysis across three national datasets to draw directly from the most current national data available to assess alcohol use and misuse among Hispanic women. Next, I will conduct qualitative research so that I may tease out the complexities of drinking-related gender role expectations – from both traditional Hispanic culture and mainstream U.S. culture – that are experienced by Hispanic women in the U.S. Themes that are gleaned from these discussions will be used to generate items for a quantitative measure that captures how bicultural gender role expectations contribute to drinking behaviors among Hispanic women. This final phase of my training will inform an R01 submission, which will pilot and validate the measure that I will begin developing as a K01 awardee. Highlighting the “full circle” nature of this training, my R01 application will include validating the measure among a national sample of U.S. Hispanic women. With a team of world-class mentors, this project will address two major research gaps in the literature on alcohol use among Hispanic women and will also afford me expertise to continue tackling major gaps in the literature using a holistic and complementary skillset of scientific methods.