Migrant Background Youth and Hazardous Drinking: Drinking to Fit Into Australian Society?

In this study, we proposed that migrant youth might have acculturation reasons to drink alcohol and explored the role of acculturative gap conflict and perceived drinking culture in predicting hazardous drinking. We examined proximal acculturation reasons for drinking in terms of drinking to fit into Australian culture and drinking to cope with parental/community expectations.

We conducted an online survey with 470 participants (age range 18-25 years). Data from those who reported having tried alcohol (n = 383; 65% female, 71% born in Australia) were analysed. We grouped participants under those who came from similar alcohol consumption environments to Australia and those who did not.

Using hierarchical logistic regression, we found that predictors of hazardous alcohol use included motives for drinking (coping-OR = 2.28, 95% CI [1.57, 3.32], p < 0.001; enhancement-OR = 2.22, 95% CI [1.50, 3.29], p < 0.001) and drinking to fit in (OR = 1.47, 95% CI [1.04, 2.08], p = 0.028). Those who came from similar drinking environments as Australia had increased odds of drinking at hazardous levels compared to those who came from dissimilar drinking environments (OR = 0.44, 95% CI [0.23, 0.83], p = 0.011). The model correctly classified three-quarters of both non-hazardous and hazardous drinkers and demonstrated good discriminant validity (AUC = 0.845).

Besides coping and enhancement drinking motives, drinking to fit in was a significant predictor of hazardous drinking. This highlights the importance of looking at proximal acculturation reasons for drinking in migrant youth.