Harmful alcohol consumption among college students is a ubiquitous health concern of university campuses in the United States. The consequences related to alcohol use are far-reaching and can negatively almost any aspect of students’ lives. A growing body of literature exists characterizing these consequences, but very little research pertaining to alcohol use specifically among students of color/minority demographics has been performed. This study aims to describe drinking patterns and consequence experiences among students of color by comparing students’ levels of acculturation (adherence to American culture) and enculturation (adherence to heritage culture).
The study’s sample is composed of 150 students from 33 universities across the United States identifying who identify as a racial/ethnic minority (N=150, 44% female). Additional eligibility criteria included reporting at least alcohol-related blackout or instance of memory impairment in the prior year. The participants completed online surveys which collected the following measures: demographics; acculturation/enculturation (via the Vancouver Index of Acculturation); alcohol-related blackout experiences (via the Alcohol-Induced Blackout Measure); drinking habits and quantities (via the Daily Drinking Questionnaire); and additional alcohol-related consequences (via Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire). These measures were compiled and analyzed via regression modelling and simple slope analysis.
Results of the study found that female students of color reported significantly lower measures of enculturation, drinking quantity, and blackout frequency than male students of color. In addition, when enculturation rates increased among males, blackout frequency also increased (p=0.003); no such relationship was found in the female demographic. Enculturation scores and other alcohol consequences were not found to be related across the entire model. Further probing of the dataset, testing at the racial/ethnic group level found a significant negative relationship between enculturation and blackout frequency only among black female students.
Takeaway: drinking behaviors may vary according to an individual acculturation/enculturation rates, but more research is needed to investigate the relationship. When providing substance use interventions to college students, cultural adherence may play a part in determining risk levels among students.