Cultural socialization and alcohol use: The mediating role of alcohol expectancies among racial/ethnic minority youth

INTRODUCTION: Cultural socialization is associated with reduced risk for several health outcomes among racial/ethnic minority youth. However, to date, less is known about its effect on substance use or the mechanisms through which this process may operate. The current study aimed to examine the effect of cultural socialization on alcohol use through alcohol expectancies among racial/ethnic minority youth. METHODS: 113 minority adolescents (69.9% African American; 13.3% Hispanic; 10.6% Multiracial; 2.7% American Indian/Alaskan Native) between ages 12 and 18 (mean age 15) were recruited from community-based after school centers. Participants completed measures on cultural socialization, four alcohol expectancy domains (i.e., positive social, wild and crazy, negative arousal, and sedation), and past year alcohol use. RESULTS: A significant indirect pathway between cultural socialization, alcohol expectancies and alcohol use was found for negative arousal expectancies (b = −0.160, Boot CI [95] = −0.413, −0.021). Indirect paths were non-significant for the other three alcohol expectancies. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that cultural socialization can help reduce alcohol use among racial/ethnic minority adolescents, in part though influencing negative arousal expectancies. Given evidence that alcohol expectancies play an important and long-lasting role in alcohol use across development, incorporating cultural socialization into intervention programming for racial/ethnic minority youth may prove beneficial to reduce risk for alcohol use.