Socio-cultural determinants of substance misuse among adult Latinas: a longitudinal study of a community-based sample

Limited studies have examined socio-cultural determinants of alcohol and drug misuse trajectories among adult Latinas. To examine theassociation between socio-cultural determinants and alcohol and drug misuse, we used a longitudinal design to follow a cohort of 267 adult Latina mother-daughter-dyads for ten years, and collected four waves of data. Specifically, this study investigated the impacts of the following factors:(1) Individual Determinants (e.g., socioeconomic conditions, mental health and medical status, country of origin); (2) Cultural Determinants (e.g., acculturation to the United States [U.S.] culture); (3) Interpersonal Determinants (e.g., interpersonal support, relationship stress, mother daughter attachment, intimate partner violence); (4) Community Determinants (e.g., neighborhood related stress) and (5) Institutional Determinants (e.g., religious involvement, involvement with the criminal justice system). We used individual growth curve modeling for our analysis. Taking prescribed medication on a regular basis for a physical problem, religious involvement, and mother and daughter attachment were negatively associated with drug misuse, while the count of mental health symptoms, US born, and criminal justice involvement were positively associated with drug misuse overtime. Age at interview, religious involvement, and attachment were negatively associated with alcohol misuse, while being mother in the dyads and criminal justice involvement increased the likelihood of alcohol misuse overtime. Based on our findings, we discuss implications for culturally relevant interventions for U.S. born Latinas.