Ethnic, Social Class, and Gender Differences in Adolescent Drinking

Abstract

The independent effects of ethnicity and social class on multiple aspects of adolescent drinking were examined. African American, European American, and Mexican American high school students (1,134 females, 740 males) from three social classes completed measures of drinking frequency and quantity, drinking consequences, reasons for drinking, and the social context of drinking. Overall, European American students showed the highest frequency and quantity of drinking followed by Mexican Americans and then by African Americans. Despite differences in frequency and quantity, adolescents from the three ethnic groups showed similar drinking patterns, motivations, and consequences. However, European Americans engaged in more normative and outdoor drinking, and a larger minority of African American adolescents reported consuming alcohol alone and in school or work settings. The independent effects of social class were minimal.