title: Natural mentors and youth drinking: a qualitative study of Mexican youths.
abstract: Parental influences on youth drinking are well documented but not the influence of extended family members. This article explores extended family influences on alcohol use among Mexican youths and whether extended family members can be considered natural mentors. We conducted a qualitative study using ethnographic open ended interviews with 117 first year university students in Mexico City. The ethnographic interviews revealed six drinking groups: excessive, heavy, regular, occasional, abstainers and non drinkers. Youths reported close relationships with extended family members who provided counsel and acted as representatives of familial norms and values. The alcohol beliefs and behaviors of these family members, including their alcohol misuse, had a positive influence on youths' alcohol attitudes. The naturally occurring mentoring relationships of Mexican extended family members can positively influence moderate youth drinking. Natural mentoring relationships should be encouraged and facilitated in prevention efforts for Mexican youths, Mexican-American youths and potentially other Hispanic/Latino youths.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, Medical Campus, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, Rm 452, Boston, MA 02118, USA, lstrunin@bu.edu.
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Strunin
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City 04510, Mexico.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Díaz-Martínez
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico/National Institute on Psychiatry Ramón de la Fuente Muñíz, Mexico City 04510, Mexico.
authors.forename: L Rosa
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Díaz-Martínez
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, Medical Campus, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, Rm 452, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
authors.forename: Seth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuranz
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Alcohol Research Center, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06030, USA and.
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Hernández-Ávila
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, Medical Campus, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, Rm 452, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
authors.forename: Caroline E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Pantridge
authors.affiliation: General Medical Services, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City 04510, Mexico.
authors.forename: Héctor
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fernández-Varela
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000884:Anthropology, Cultural; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008611:Mentors; D017058:Mexican Americans; D008800:Mexico; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000066608:Underage Drinking / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055815:Young Adult