The Role of Immigration Age on Alcohol and Drug Use Among Border and Non-Border Mexican Americans

Background To determine the age of immigration at which the marked increase in risk for alcohol‐ and drug‐use problems in adulthood is observed among Mexican American adults residing in 2 distinct contexts: the U.S.–Mexico border, and cities not proximal to the border. Methods We used 2 samples of Mexican American adults: specifically, 1,307 who resided along the U.S.–Mexico border, and 1,288 non‐border adults who were interviewed as a part of the 2006 Hispanic Americans Baseline Alcohol Survey study. Survey logistic and Poisson regression methods were used to examine how immigration age during adolescence is related to alcohol‐ and drug‐use behavior in adulthood. Results We found that participants who immigrate to the United States prior to age 14 have qualitatively different alcohol‐ and drug‐related outcomes compared to those who immigrate later in life. Adults who immigrated at younger ages have alcohol‐ and drug‐use patterns similar to those who were U.S.‐born. Adults who immigrated at young ages and reside distal from the U.S.–Mexico border are at greater risk for alcohol and drug use than those who live in border contexts. Conclusions Immigration from Mexico to the U.S. before age 14 results in alcohol‐ and drug‐related behavior that mirrors the behavior of U.S.‐born residents, and the alcohol‐ and drug‐use effects were more pronounced among adults who did not reside proximal to the U.S.–Mexico border.