Warner Tara D, Fishbein Diana H, Krebs Christopher P
Soc Sci Res. 2010 Jan 1;39(1):176-186. doi: 10.1016/j.ssresearch.2009.07.001.
Rising rates of substance use among Hispanic youth, coupled with substantial growth of this minority group, merit grounds for concern. The process of assimilation is frequently examined in studies of Hispanic substance use and has been cited as a reason for higher rates of substance use by U.S.-born Hispanics, compared to their foreign-born peers. However, many previous studies use individual or unidimensional measures of assimilation, when this term is multifaceted, representing different concepts. The current study addresses this gap by testing the longitudinal effect of different assimilation processes (acculturation as well as structural, spatial, and straight-line assimilation), while simultaneously controlling for important familial and social risk and protective factors on the likelihood of alcohol use among U.S.-born Mexican and Mexican immigrant youth. Results indicate that, although alcohol use is higher among immigrant youth, assimilation measures do not predict alcohol use for immigrants or U.S.-born youth. We conclude that the effects of assimilation may vary by person and place, particularly in ethnic enclaves, and suggest the use of measures that incorporate cultural, personal, social, and environmental factors.
西班牙裔青少年物质使用比率不断上升，再加上这一少数群体的大幅增长，值得引起关注。在西班牙裔物质使用研究中，同化过程经常被探讨，并且被认为是美国出生的西班牙裔比他们在国外出生的同龄人物质使用率更高的一个原因。然而，以前的许多研究使用的是同化的个体或单维度测量方法，而这个术语是多方面的，代表着不同的概念。本研究通过测试不同同化过程（文化适应以及结构、空间和直线同化）的纵向影响来填补这一空白，同时控制重要的家庭和社会风险以及保护因素对美国出生的墨西哥和墨西哥移民青少年饮酒可能性的影响。结果表明，尽管移民青少年的饮酒率更高，但同化测量方法并不能预测移民或美国出生的青少年的饮酒情况。我们得出结论，同化的影响可能因人而异、因地点而异，尤其是在种族飞地中，并建议使用纳入文化、个人、社会和环境因素的测量方法。
