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Updated: Jan 15, 2026
A Modified Trier Social Stress Test for Vulnerable Mexican American Adolescents
Published on: July 10, 2017
Randomized Controlled Trial Demonstrates Efficacy of a Culturally Adapted Behavioral Intervention Delivered in
Alison A Moore1, Christina S Lee2, Blanca X Dominguez3
1Department of Medicine, and Stein Institute for Research on Aging, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California.
Objective:
Latinos/as comprise nearly 20% of the U.S. population; 25% report past-month binge drinking, and disparities in care persist. Culturally adapted interventions may improve outcomes and access. We tested the efficacy of a culturally adapted behavioral intervention to reduce unhealthy alcohol use, delivered in Spanish to Latino/a adults.
Method:
We conducted a parallel, two-group, randomized controlled trial with 12- and 26-week follow-ups to test a three-session intervention delivered by community health workers (CHWs) from a community-based agency in Los Angeles, California. The intervention combined culturally adapted Motivational Enhancement Therapy and Strengths-Based Case Management (CA-MET/SBCM) and was compared to the Rethinking Drinking booklet. Participants were 236 non-treatment-seeking Latino/a adults who exceeded National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism low-risk drinking limits. The primary outcome was the percentage of heavy drinking days (≥5 drinks for men, ≥4 drinks for women) in the past 90 days at 26 weeks. Secondary outcomes were the average number of drinks per week and alcohol-related problems.
Results:
The CA-MET/SBCM group had greater reductions in heavy drinking days and average drinks per week at Week 26 compared with the Rethinking Drinking group (-21.7 vs. -12.9 for percent heavy drinking days; -15.9 vs. -9.8 for average drinks per week). At Week 12, heavy drinking days were also significantly reduced in the CA-MET/SBCM group (-18.5 vs. -10.3).
Conclusions:
A culturally adapted behavioral intervention, combining MET and SBCM, delivered by Spanish-speaking CHWs significantly reduced unhealthy alcohol use among Latinos/as. These results are promising in addressing health disparities, although continued research is essential to further reduce unhealthy drinking and advance health equity for Latinos/as.
