Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #105021

Gina M. Piane, DrPH, CHES, Health Science Department, California State University, Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90840, 5629852137, gpiane@csulb.edu and Alan M. Safer, PhD, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, California State University, Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90840.

The goal of this research is to identify a pattern of alcohol consumption and subjective norms among Latino CSULB students and to determine if these patterns regress in relation to acculturation. Specifically, the study examines whether results obtained from an acculturation scale can be used to predict risk for alcohol consumption among Hispanic/Latino students as compared to their Caucasian, Asian and African American counterparts. 24.3% of the CSULB students are Latinos. A written survey was administered to CSULB students measuring demographic variables, ethnicity, drinking behaviors, level of acculturation and subjective norms. The Latino students who attend CSULB vary in their level of acculturation and drinking behavior. The more acculturated students resemble the Caucasian students in terms of heavy drinking, social norms and positive attitudes toward alcohol. These results may explain some of the variance in heavy drinking among college students. They also indicate that as minority students move toward acculturation in the Unites States, that they are more likely to adopt the destructive behavior of heavy drinking. This can be predicted by changes in their attitudes about alcohol and their perceptions of drinking norms on campus and among their friends.

Learning Objectives: By the end of the presentation the participants will be able to

• Identify a pattern of alcohol consumption among Latino college students.
• Recognize the predictive value of acculturation on alcohol use, social norms and attitudes.
• Explain the variance in heavy drinking among college students.

Keywords: Alcohol, College Students

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.