Summary: Greater neighborhood co-ethnic density (living in proximity with
people sharing an ethnicity) and being foreign-born each can protect against
risky drinking, but little is known about whether these two factors interact.
Using a representative sample of Latinos and Asians from California, authors
investigate main and interactive effects of neighborhood co-ethnic density and
nativity status in relation to heavy episodic drinking (HED).
This study uses the California Health Interview Survey (N =
30,203) linked with neighborhood data to investigate associations of co-ethnic
density and nativity status with HED. Co-ethnic density was based on matching
each respondent's ethnicity to the proportion of residents of the corresponding
group in their Census tract. Using weighted logistic regression, authors first
examined main effects of neighborhood co-ethnic density and respondent nativity
status on HED. Next, authors assessed the interaction of co-ethnic density and
nativity status. Finally, authors estimated nativity-stratified models to
investigate variation in effects of co-ethnic density.
Findings: Co-ethnic density was not associated with HED for the full
sample, but U.S.-born nativity status was associated with increased odds of
past-year HED. The interaction model showed co-ethnic density and nativity had
synergistic effects, whereby greater levels of neighborhood co-ethnic density
buffered risk associated with being U.S.-born. Further, greater neighborhood
co-ethnic density was associated with reduced odds of HED for U.S.-born
respondents, but it was not associated with HED for foreign-born respondents.
Protective effects of high neighborhood co-ethnic density on HED
are stronger for U.S.-born than for foreign-born Latinos and Asians in
California.