Latent Class Analysis of Motives for American Indian Drinking

Introduction: There is limited research on the drinking motives of American Indian (AI) youth. AI youth are more than twice as likely to report early initiation to intoxication compared to the white youth in the same geographic area. Further understanding drinking motives and their relation to negative outcomes may help develop intervention strategies aimed at reducing excessive drinking on or near reservations. The purpose of this study is to explore drinking motives as they relate to heavy episodic drinking, perceived discrimination, spirituality, ethnic identity, and ethnic pride.

Methods: This study is a secondary data analysis as part of an ongoing epidemiologic and etiologic investigation of substance use among AI youth drinkers (N = 1,934, M_age = 15.31). A Latent Class analysis (LCA) was conducted to discern latent classes of drinking motives. Once latent classes were identified, differences of perceived discrimination, ethnic pride, ethnic identity, spirituality, and heavy episodic drinking were tested using the BCH method (Bakk, & Vermunt, 2016).

Results: A 3-class solution provided the best overall model fit to the data. Class 1 was characterized by moderate-to-high coping and moderate enhancement motives and was labeled the coping and enhancement class (CEC). Class 2 was characterized by experimentation and low coping/enhancement and was labeled the experimentation class (EX). Class 3 was characterized by moderate-to-low coping and low enhancement and was labeled the low coping and enhancement class (LCE). The BCH test was significant for perceived discrimination (χ2(1) = 22.04, p < .01) and heavy episodic drinking (χ2(1) = 222.34, p < .01). Comparisons revealed that CEC had higher perceived discrimination (M = 2.05) and heavy episodic drinking (M = 2.69) than EX (M = 1.86, M = 2.12) and LCE (M = 1.74, M = 1.76). LCE had higher heavy episodic drinking (M = 1.76) than EX (M = 1.09). The BCH test was not significant for ethnic pride, ethnic identity, and spirituality.

Conclusions: A LCA revealed a three-class model for drinking motives. Results suggest that among AI youth a profile for strong motivation to drink by enhancement or coping indicates greater risk of heavy episodic drinking and perceiving discrimination, while a profile of experimentation is protective against engagement in heavy episodic drinking. Future interventions might target enhancement and coping motives to reduce AI youth heavy episodic drinking.