title: Changes in alcohol use among first year university students in Mexico.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alcohol use and misuse is widespread among university students in many countries. Specific cultural factors may impact alcohol use after entering university.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This paper considers changes in alcohol use among first year university students in Mexico.
  
  
  METHODS
  A qualitative study using ethnographic interviews with 57 female and 60 male student drinkers in Mexico City from March to June 2011. Each interview was evaluated by a set of thematic codes developed inductively from the interviews. Findings from excessive, heavy, regular, occasional drinkers, abstainers, and non-drinkers were analyzed to explore whether or not linkages existed between and/or among particular themes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Students reported factors associated with changes in role and status, friendships, and increased autonomy as reasons for increasing or decreasing their alcohol use after entering university. CONCLUSIONS/IMPORTANCE: Understanding the influence of Mexican cultural norms on alcohol use among Mexican and Mexican Americans can be helpful in informing studies and preventive efforts among both Mexican and Mexican American young people.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health , Boston, Massachusetts , USA.
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Strunin
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Díaz-Martínez
authors.forename: L Rosa
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Díaz-Martínez
authors.forename: Seth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuranz
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hernández-Ávila
authors.forename: Héctor
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fernández-Varela
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D064829:Alcohol Abstinence / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014495:Universities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Mexico; alcohol; changes in drinking; first year university students; qualitative methods