Impulsivity moderates the association between racial discrimination and alcohol problems.
Alcohol use among university students is a serious public health concern, particularly among minority students who may use alcohol to cope with experiences of racial discrimination. Although the impact of racial discrimination on alcohol use has been well-established, individual differences in factors that may act to either attenuate or exacerbate the negative effects of racial discrimination are largely unknown. One potentially fruitful individual differences trait that has repeatedly been found to predict alcohol problems is the multidimensional personality trait of impulsivity. Nonetheless, the ways in which various aspects of impulsivity interact with racial discrimination is yet unknown. The current study, therefore, examined the joint and interactive contribution of racial discrimination and impulsivity in the prediction of alcohol consumption among racial minority university students. Participants included 336 Black/African-American and Asian/Asian-American university students. Results revealed both racial discrimination and impulsivity to be significantly associated with alcohol problems. Further, individuals' responses to racial discrimination were not uniform. Specifically, the association between racial discrimination and alcohol problems was moderated by lack of Premeditation; racial discrimination was most strongly predictive of alcohol problems for those who reported low level of premeditation. Findings from the present study highlight the importance of investigating risk factors for alcohol problems across multiple levels of the ecology as individual personality traits appear to relate to how one might respond to the experience of racial discrimination.
['Latzman|Robert D|RD|', 'Chan|Wing Yi|WY|', 'Shishido|Yuri|Y|']
D000293:Adolescent D000328:Adult D001741:African Americans D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders D001213:Asian Americans D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies D005260:Female D006801:Humans D007175:Impulsive Behavior D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D010465:Perception D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales D063505:Racism D013334:Students D014495:Universities D055815:Young Adult
Impulsivity Racial discrimination Alcohol problems