In the Hispanic American Baseline Survey (HABLAS), a 2006 study of 18+ year-olds, differences were found in drinking patterns and problems among Mexican (n = 1,288), Puerto Rican (n = 1,335), Cuban (n = 1,327), and South/Central (n = 1,274) Americans21. For example, Mexican American men had higher rates of past-year dependence (15.1%) than South/Central American men (9.0%), with Puerto Rican men more similar to Mexican Americans at 15.3%, and Cuban Americans lowest at 5.3%. In women, Puerto Rican women (6.4%) had higher past-year dependence than Mexican (2.1%), Cuban (1.6%) and South/Central (0.8%) American women22,23. These relative differences are consistent with data from NESARC-I for lifetime prevalence of DSM-IV dependence in Mexican (9.8%, n = 4,558), Puerto Rican (7.0%, n = 997) and Cuban (4.0%, n = 450) Americans12,22,24, as well as data from the NLAAS (n = 2,554 Hispanic) that find Puerto Rican Americans are at higher risk than Cuban Americans for lifetime substance use disorders including AUDs23.
