Correlates of alcohol and drug use among low-income Hispanic immigrant childbearing women living in the USA

Abstract

Alcohol and drug use is a widespread and serious problem with deleterious consequences for the health and well-being of childbearing-age women and their children. Little information exists regarding etiological factors for substance use among Hispanic childbearing-age women immigrating to the United States (USA). This research provides a correlational analysis of factors associated with alcohol and drug use. The Social Stress Model for Substance Use Prevention provided the conceptual framework for this cross-sectional, interview-administered survey of 60 low-income predominantly Mexican-American women. The outcome variable was alcohol and drug use (alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, cocaine and opiates). Independent variables included the major constructs of the model: stress, social support, social influences, personal competencies and community resource utilization patterns. Findings suggested that the levels of drug use were lower among this study sample than in the general USA population regardless of pregnancy status. Bivariate correlations demonstrate that women with higher drug use indices had more lenient attitudes regarding drug use and were more likely to have family and friends that used alcohol and drugs. Although drug use was relatively low among this sample of women, both women who used alcohol themselves and women whose partners used alcohol and drugs reported significantly higher levels of stress, weaker social support and poorer levels of self esteem. Implications for practice and future research are suggested.