(PS6-C67) The Role of Sociocultural Factors on Alcohol Use Behaviors Among Hispanic/latinx Individuals

Background: Problematic alcohol use among college students remains a public health concern. Hispanic/Latinx college students engage in more harmful drinking patterns than students from other ethnic minority groups and their non-Hispanic/Latinx White counterparts. Research indicates sociocultural factors may affect self-efficacy to engage in protective behaviors. Thus, Hispanic/Latinx college students may be vulnerable to developing future alcohol pathology. A need exists for research to explore the role of unique sociocultural factors in alcohol pathology and the use of safe drinking strategies (i.e., Protective Drinking Practices; PDPS) among Hispanic/Latinx individuals. The current study sought to investigate the role of acculturation, cultural congruity, and perceived discrimination on PDPS self-efficacy, PDPS use, and alcohol use among Hispanic/Latinx college students. Methods: Participants (n = 243) from a Southeastern University completed an online screening survey, as part of a larger study. The screening survey assessed demographic information, acculturation, cultural congruity, perceived discrimination, alcohol pathology, PDPS use, and PDPS self-efficacy. The associations were analyzed using a structural path model.

Results: The model showed good fit to the data, χ2(4) = 5.24, p = .264, RMSEA = .036, CFI = .988, SRMR =.034. Acculturation had significant positive associations with both PDPS self-efficacy (B = 0.404, p = .013) and PDPS use (B = 0.512, p < .001). Cultural congruity had a significant negative association with PDPS self-efficacy (B = -0.180, p = .009). Perceived discrimination had a significant association with cultural congruity (B = 0.566, p < .001). PDPS self-efficacy had significant associations with PDPS use (B = 0.565, p < .001). Interestingly, PDPS self-efficacy (B = -2.422, p < .001), but not PDPS use (B = -0.022, p = .928), was inversely associated with alcohol pathology. Acculturation was indirectly related to alcohol pathology through PDPS self-efficacy (IND = -0.923, p = .007). Cultural congruity was indirectly related to alcohol pathology through PDPS self-efficacy (IND = 0.429, p = .009). Perceived discrimination was indirectly related to alcohol pathology through cultural congruity and PDPS self-efficacy (IND = 0.473, p = .031).

Conclusion: The current study shows the unique effects of various sociocultural factors on alcohol pathology via perception of control over, and actual utilization of, safe drinking strategies. All sociocultural factors were primarily linked to alcohol pathology via PDPS self-efficacy, not actual PDPS use. Future research should examine interventions that increase safe drinking self-efficacy to reduce alcohol pathology in Latinx/Hispanic populations.