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Review
. 2016;38(1):35-45.

Social and Cultural Contexts of Alcohol Use: Influences in a Social-Ecological Framework

May Sudhinaraset  1 , Christina Wigglesworth  2 , David T Takeuchi  2
Affiliations
Review

Social and Cultural Contexts of Alcohol Use: Influences in a Social-Ecological Framework

May Sudhinaraset et al. Alcohol Res. 2016.

Abstract

Alcohol use and misuse account for 3.3 million deaths every year, or 6 percent of all deaths worldwide. The harmful effects of alcohol misuse are far reaching and range from individual health risks, morbidity, and mortality to consequences for family, friends, and the larger society. This article reviews a few of the cultural and social influences on alcohol use and places individual alcohol use within the contexts and environments where people live and interact. It includes a discussion of macrolevel factors, such as advertising and marketing, immigration and discrimination factors, and how neighborhoods, families, and peers influence alcohol use. Specifically, the article describes how social and cultural contexts influence alcohol use/misuse and then explores future directions for alcohol research.

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Figures

Figure
Figure
A social–ecological framework for explaining influences on alcohol use. Individual-level factors that influence alcohol use are nested within home, work, and school environments, which are nested within the larger community. Macro-level factors, such as exposure to advertising, may influence family and peer network attitudes and norms, which ultimately affect individual attitudes and behaviors.
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