A Longitudinal Analysis: The Moderating and Mediating Effect of Alcohol Outcome Expectancies on Traditional Masculine Gender Norms and Alcohol Use among Latino Immigrant Men.

Abstract

Latino immigrants in the United States are at risk for problematic drinking behaviors, with Latino men engaging in higher rates of drinking than their female counterparts. Guided by Gender Schema Theory and the Alcohol Expectancy Model, the present study examined the longitudinal associations between traditional masculine gender norms (i.e., traditional machismo and caballerismo), alcohol outcome expectancies (AOEs), and alcohol use in a sample of 276 Latino immigrant men. We tested competing linear mixed effects models to examine the hypothesized moderation and mediation pathways. Alcohol use significantly decreased by the third wave compared to baseline. Greater endorsement of traditional machismo was associated with higher positive AOEs, which in turn were associated with greater alcohol use. Positive AOEs moderated the relationship between traditional machismo and alcohol use such that stronger positive AOEs attenuated the negative association between traditional machismo and alcohol use. Negative AOEs also moderated this relationship: higher negative AOEs amplified the inverse association between traditional machismo and alcohol use. Traditional machismo was inversely associated with alcohol use, whereas endorsement of positive AOEs was positively associated with alcohol use. Higher education was associated with lower alcohol use. Implications for effective prevention and intervention strategies are discussed, along with recommendations for future research.