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Ethnic minorities (e.g., Hispanics, blacks, Asian-Americans, and Native Americans) are still underrepresented in alcohol research in the United States. Furthermore, existing studies often do not take into consideration the variability that exists within each ethnic group, resulting in inaccurate generalizations. Studies among Hispanics have found substantial differences among Hispanic subgroups in drinking patterns and rates of alcohol-related problems. Moreover, no single variable can explain the observed patterns. Similarly, numerous factors have been shown to shape drinking patterns among blacks, including individual and environmental characteristics as well as historical and cultural factors. Different subgroups of Asian-Americans also vary substantially in their rates of drinking and heavy drinking, although their lifetime alcohol use is lower than the national average. Genetic and cultural factors, as well as stress and historic experiences, may influence drinking patterns of Asian-Americans. The widely differing drinking patterns among Native Americans also are likely shaped by a variety of influences. KEY wORDs: AOD use pattern; AOD consumption; ethnic differences; minority group; racial differences; Hispanic; African American; Asian American; Native American; hereditary factors; sociocultural norms; causes of AODU (alcohol and other drug use); psychological stress; history of AOD use; literature review
Much of the research on alcoholrelated issues in the United States has been conducted with samples of whites and has ignored the potential influence of cultural factors, such as race and ethnicity. For example, although nationwide household alcohol surveys in the United States have been administered since 1964, the first national alcohol survey with an emphasis on blacks and Hispanics was implemented only in 1984. Over the past decade, however, considerable advances-primarily in the quality of the research-have been made in alcohol studies among ethnic minorities in the United States. For example, these studies now emphasize more strongly the conceptualization of research questions and employ more sophisticated methodological tools.
The importance of conducting alcohol research among minorities is underscored by findings that members of many ethnic minorities in the United States report higher rates of heavy drinking and alcohol-related problems than do whites (for a review, see Caetano and Clark 1998a,b). Consequently, it is imperative, from a public health perspective, to better understand ethnicspecific drinking patterns and their associated problems.
A dominant theme that has emerged in analyses of drinking patterns among members...