Association between acculturation and binge drinking among Asian-americans

Objective: Evaluate the association between acculturation and binge drinking among six Asian-American subgroups using the California Health Interview Survey (2007, 2009). Methods: Our study included a total of 8,826 participants, relating to an annual population estimate of 3,310,988 Asian-Americans in California. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted with binge drinking as the outcome variable and language spoken at home and time in U.S. as proxy measures of acculturation. Potential interactions were further assessed. Results: A total of 1,116 Asian-Americans were identified as binge drinkers, thus reflecting an annual population estimate of 619,468 Californians. Highest binge drinking rates were among Filipinos (population estimate = 222,216) and lowest among Japanese (population estimate = 37,612). Binge drinking was positively associated with being U.S.-born for both Filipinos (OR = 3.0, p<0.05) and South-Asians (OR = 5.3, p<0.05), and bilingual Vietnamese males (OR = 2.6, p<0.05). Korean females who were either bilingual (OR = 3.0, p<0.05) or only spoke English at home (OR = 6.0, p<0.005) were also more likely to report binge drinking. On the other hand, lower odds of binge drinking were associated with being bilingual (OR = 0.44, p<0.05) or speaking only English (OR = 0.31, p<0.05) among Chinese males. Conclusion: In our study, increasing acculturation was associated with increased binge drinking among most Asian groups, with exception of Chinese males. Future studies and preventive measures should also address the cultural basis of health risk behaviors among Asian-American adults.