Alcohol abuse among puerto ricans: in search of a theoretical model.

Díaz, Héctor Luis (2004) Alcohol abuse among puerto ricans: in search of a theoretical model. Perspectivas sociales, 6 (1-2). ISSN 1405-1133

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Resumen

A secondary analysis of data was conducted on a cross-sectional survey conducted by the author. The original survey aimed at exploring the associations between the acculturation, stress and alcohol consumption of a non-probability sample of 100 Puerto Ricans residing in the state of Massachusetts. The current article aims at providing insights into the validity of the “acculturation model”, the “acculturative stress model” and “culture conflict theory” for Puerto Rican alcohol users. Furthermore this article explores the extent to which these different theoretical models represent an improvement over the traditional method of combining a few key independent variables in an effort to explain and predict alcohol abuse among Puerto Ricans. The findings of this secondary analysis of data revealed no significant associations between levels of acculturation and alcohol consumption or between acculturation and stress. Weak associations were found between specific types of stress and alcohol use. The findings of this study provide no support for the acculturation model and little support for the acculturative stress model or culture conflict theory. At the same time findings revealed stronger associations between levels of education, place of birth, length of residence in the U. S., skin color, and alcohol use. As a result, reliance on overly simplistic models is discouraged and the development of ethnic group-specific and multivariate theoretical models is highly recommended. Policy implications are discussed of identifying predictors of alcohol abuse among Puerto Ricans.

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