Impact of religious coping on the acculturative stress and alcohol use of recent Latino immigrants

Background: Acculturative stress has been linked with increased alcohol use among Latino immigrants. Religion plays a prominent role in Latino culture and could be influential during difficult life transitions, such as those experienced during the immigration process. This study examines the moderating influence of religious coping on the relationship between acculturative stress and alcohol use among recent Latino immigrants. Methods: The present analyses were conducted with data from a longitudinal investigation of sociocultural determinants of health among adult recent Latino immigrants. The sample consisted of 415 adult Latinos (representing 17 Latin American countries) who immigrated to the U.S. within the last two years. Results: Structural equation model using MIMIC (Multiple Indicators, Multiple Causes) modeling to include covariates was conducted to examine associations between acculturative stress, positive (adaptive) religious coping, negative (maladaptive) religious coping, and alcohol use. Higher levels of acculturative stress were associated with more positive and negative religious coping. Positive religious coping was related to lower alcohol use. Negative religious coping moderated the relationship between acculturative stress and alcohol use. Participants who used more negative religious coping had higher rates of alcohol use when experiencing high levels of acculturative stress. Conclusions: Findings indicate immigrants experiencing acculturative stress turn to religion as a means of coping with these adverse experiences. Positive and negative religious coping had distinctive relations to alcohol use. This knowledge could inform culturally tailored intervention/prevention efforts to address acculturative stress and its negative health outcomes among the largest and fastest growing ethnic minority group in the US.