Alcoholismo y Machismo: Investigating Culturally Specific Risk-Factors for the Inheritance of Alcohol Use Disorder in Male Latinos

Abstract

Latinos in the United States have been regarded as an at-risk ethnic group for Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). Previous research has shown that Latino sons are especially at risk for the inheritance of AUD from an alcoholic father. Potential factors in this risk for AUD have been explored–identifying high levels of machismo and closeness to the father as factors that are associated with higher risk of AUD. While the relationship between machismo and AUD risk has been established, findings on the effect of closeness to the father have been mixed. The present study attempts to bridge this gap in understanding of factors associated with AUD inheritance by testing the moderating effect of closeness to the father on the relationship between high traditional machismo and scores on the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). Through an online-based survey, 19 sons of alcoholic fathers reported adherence to machismo, closeness to their feathers, and self-reported drinking patterns. Using a hierarchical multiple regression analysis, individual, combined, and moderating effects of machismo and closeness on risk for AUD were assessed. Findings revealed that high levels of machismo were indeed positively associated with higher risk of AUD. Moreover, analysis of both factors together showed a relationship between lower levels of closeness and AUDIT scores–where closeness to the father was associated with decreased AUDIT scores holding machismo constant. No moderating effect was found for closeness. Thus, our study did not show results for a moderating effect of closeness on the relationship between machismo and risk for the inheritance of AUD. We provide discussion of the main effect of machismo on AUD to inform treatment recommendations and future directions. Such research can provide insight into the role of culturally specific risk factors for understanding and treating AUD in Latino communities.