Hispanics are often grouped into a single category when it comes to alcohol use. Yet a new Michigan State University study indicates that the risk of alcohol abuse and dependence can vary significantly among different subgroups within the population.
Using pre-existing national data which looked at the incident rate of alcohol use disorders, or AUDs, over a period of time, Carlos F. Ríos-Bedoya, an assistant professor in the College of Human Medicine, is the first to determine that the annual incidence rate isn't the same among all Hispanics and prevention efforts shouldn't be the same either. Subgroups include Mexican-American, Puerto Rican and Cuban-American.
The study can be found in the most recent issue of the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism.
"The problem is major lifestyle and migration differences among these subgroups aren't taken into account in most of the survey data that's been collected," Ríos-Bedoya said, who specializes in epidemiology of drug use. "The result is an inaccurate picture of this population."
Hispanics are one of the fastest growing populations in the United States and often have been identified as having a higher risk for alcoholism. Yet, Ríos-Bedoya counters that stereotype, showing that one group in particular, Cuban-Americans, has the lowest incidence rate – less than 1 percent – among their counterparts. They also are half as likely to develop a drinking problem than non-Hispanic whites.
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