Commentary on Caetano, Mills, and Vaeth (2012): The Role of Context on Alcohol Consumption Among Mexican Americans

Background: In this commentary, we discuss a study by Caetano and colleagues (2012) that examines alcohol consumption and binge drinking behavior among U.S.-Mexico border and non-border Mexican Americans using data from the Hispanic Americans Baseline Alcohol Survey. Methods: We discuss how Caetano and colleagues (2012) addressed 3 gaps in our understanding of drinking behaviors among Hispanics: (1) effects of living near the U.S.-Mexico border, (2) gender differences in drinking behaviors, and (3) alcohol-related outcomes among young women. Results: Findings suggest that Mexican American men and women living along the U.S.-Mexico border reported higher levels of drinking than their U.S. metropolitan counterparts (Caetano et al., 2012). Conclusions: This study represents an important contribution to the dearth of studies investigating disparities in alcohol-related consequences among Hispanic young adults living along the U.S.-Mexico border. Future research needs to examine why contextual factors of the U.S.-Mexico border generate differential effects in the Mexican American population.