Accounting for context: Determinants of Mexican and Central American im/migrant day laborer well-being and alcohol use

Background. Growing numbers of Mexican and Central American workers in U.S. low-wage jobs imply public health research and program challenges. Some studies have shown increasing alcohol use by im/migrants following time in the U.S. However, adequate understanding of alcohol use among recent im/migrants is lacking.; Objectives. The research included a literature review on male Mexican and Central American im/migrant laborers alcohol use and a case study with day laborers from these countries. Objectives were to document alcohol-related attitudes and practices and to relate these practices to the immediate contexts experienced as recent im/migrants.; Methods. Ethnographic observation was conducted over a 20-month period and supplemented by information from 120 participants representative of the site by national origin, age, and family situation. Participants with divergent experiences of alcohol use and abstinence were interviewed informally on the street or through in-depth interviews lasting 1-2 hours. About three fourths of participants were interviewed more than once with some followed for the entire study period.; Results. A wide range of alcohol use including abstinence were uncovered. While some defined problem drinking by the amount consumed, most emphasized negative consequences as a more important marker. Therefore, some participants drank heavily but considered this "normal" if no negative consequences were anticipated. Drinking at home instead of in commercial establishments was described as a means of saving money and avoiding being out at night. Drinking at home with roommates was perceived as inexpensive and a routine default activity. For non-drinkers and those concerned with avoiding heavy alcohol use or other "vices", finding like-minded roommates and social networks was of particular importance.; Discussion. Day laborers' alcohol use is shaped by their prior histories and their situation as im/migrants. As found in studies of agricultural workers, social isolation coupled with crowded all-male housing was linked to heavy drinking in groups. Group norms can fuel heavy drinking and those struggling to limit alcohol use feel particularly vulnerable. Many day laborers attribute increased alcohol use to hardships experienced as im/migrants. Recommended strategies include altering the immediate context with alternative activities, fomenting 'dry,' supportive social networks, and facilitating communication with family back home.