What neighborhoods have to do with Mexican American alcoholism

Approximately 2.6 million Hispanics are in need of alcohol use treatment according to data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, but new research suggests that, for Mexican American men, where you live makes a big difference in how likely you are to suffer from alcoholism.

SEE ALSO: Alcoholism and Hispanics: Increasing trend or or result of acculturation

Experts from Baylor University and the University of Texas Medical Branch found that older Mexican American men are less likely to engage in problem drinking as residents of neighborhoods with a higher proportion of Mexican Americans.

The findings, published under the study title of “Neighborhood Ethnic Composition and Problem Drinking among Older Mexican American Men,” will appear in the Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health and open for more in-depth discussion.

Study lead author Sociology Professor Samuel Stroope believes the reason older Hispanic men are less likely to suffer from alcoholism and problem drinking when in Hispanic neighborhoods has to do with protective influences such as inter-household family networks, residential stability, high levels of trust, local community institutions and other sources of social support. A complex social expectation regarding problem drinking among Hispanics may also be a factor.

While the study focused primarily on older Mexican America men, it also revealed U.S.-born men were less likely to be problem drinkers compared to those who were foreign born and going through acculturation.

This finding is considered surprising due to the fact most prior research shows immigrants have overall better health compared to U.S. born individuals. While the experts did not investigate the reasons for the disparity in depth, it is suspected the stress of immigration and acculturation is the reason some Hispanics turn to alcohol to cope.

These stresses may be off-set for Mexican American men when they live in communities where Hispanic cultures remain intact. If living in Mexican American communities can offer some protection from alcohol abuse, older Hispanic men are encouraged to take their neighborhoods into consideration.

SEE ALSO: What alcohol consumption really does to your health

Alcoholism has been linked to a number of health problems in older adults including stroke, heart attack, high blood pressure, anxiety, liver disease, depression, and an increased risk for certain cancers. What’s more, as the Hispanic population continues to grow, the elderly population in the United States will contain a higher percentage of minorities. Understanding how things like alcohol impact certain ethnicities will be key to maintaining a healthy older generation.

“The focus of this research is important because the U.S. population has been quickly aging in recent years and this population aging is expected to continue over the coming decades,” said Stroope in a press release. “Hispanic-Americans are expected to increase as a percentage of older Americans.”

The research focused only on Mexican Americans and did not investigate other Hispanic subgroups.