Acculturation and Alcohol Drinking Behavior among Chinese International University Students in the Midwest

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between alcohol consumption and acculturation among Chinese international university students in the Midwestern part of the United States. A sample of 91 students from a university in the Midwest participated in the study. All were Chinese and included undergraduate and graduate students. Measures used included the General Ethnicity Questionnaire–Chinese Version (Abridged); the General Ethnicity Questionnaire–American Version (Abridged); the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire (AEQ-3); the Alcohol Use Questionnaire, consisting of two subscales, drinking frequency and drinking quantity; and a demographic form created by the author. Results indicated that older Chinese international students were less likely to view, read, or listen to English using American media such as television, radio, film, or literature. The longer Chinese students stayed in the US, the more likely they were to use English as a communication language at school, home, and work. Results indicated that age and gender were significant predictors of the students’ social affiliation with American culture. Older Chinese international students were less likely to be affiliated socially with American culture, and males were more likely to be affiliated socially with American culture. Chinese international students who were more affiliated socially with American culture were more likely to be drinkers than be non-drinkers. Chinese international students who were more affiliated socially to American culture were more likely to expect aggressive alcohol expectancy. This study failed to find support for a mediation model where social affiliation with American culture predicted aggressive alcohol expectancy, which in turn predicted the current alcohol drinking frequency. Advisor: Eric S. Buh