At what stage are you in your career, and what is your current affiliation?
My name is Fatima Dobani, M.S., and I am a doctoral candidate in my 5th year of the clinical psychology program at Syracuse University. My primary advisor is Dr. Aesoon Park, PhD.
How would you describe your research interests?
My research investigates racial disparities in health behaviors, with a specific focus on alcohol use and misuse among Multiracial (i.e., parents of two or more racial and ethnic backgrounds) youth.
How did you become interested in alcohol use among multiracial young adults?
National estimates from 2015 to 2019 indicate that both Multiracial and White youth report significantly higher annual percentages of past-year alcohol use compared to Hispanic/Latino/Spanish origin, American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, Black, and Asian youth. Similarly, Multiracial and American Indian/Alaska Native youth report significantly higher rates of past-year alcohol use disorder compared to White, Black/African American, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, Asian, and Hispanic/Latinx/Spanish origin youth. I became interested in studying Multiracial youth alcohol use because of this racial disparity and the critical paucity of literature on Multiracial health, which is particularly concerning because the Multiracial group is the fastest growing population in the United States.
Congratulations on your work published in Addiction, titled, “Alcohol use in multiracial American youth compared with monoracial youth: A meta-analysis.” What do you view as the key takeaways from this work that are important for Division 50 members to know? What are the implications of this work?
This meta-analysis demonstrates that Multiracial youth may report distinct alcohol use patterns compared to monoracial youth. One key takeaway from this work is that the Multiracial youth alcohol research is limited, underscoring the exigency of additional research to understand mechanistic pathways contributing to Multiracial youth alcohol use. Mechanistic pathways can ultimately inform culturally sensitive intervention targets to reduce Multiracial youth alcohol misuse
You were recently awarded an F31 Predoctoral Fellowship from NIAAA to develop and validate a measure of multiracial discrimination, as well as examine its relation to alcohol misuse among young adults. How will your project help advance the literature on addictive behaviors? Where are you hoping to take this line of research in the future?
The project will build off our research team’s meta-analysis (discussed above) as well as my master’s thesis by using a sequential mixed-method design to develop a culturally sensitive and psychometrically sound instrument of Multiracial discrimination. The Multiracial Discrimination Scale will allow researchers (including myself) to test the scope and magnitude of the Multiracial discrimination-alcohol misuse pathway. The proposed project has the potential to allow for increased representation of Multiracial people in the alcohol and health literature.
What would you like to share with someone in the field of addictive behaviors who is interested in examining multiracial populations in their own work?
Including the Multiracial population in addiction research is a critical first step in addressing the largely unaddressed health needs of this exponentially growing population. The field of Multiracial health research warrants greater attention and at the same time, has burgeoned in recent years. Findings are constantly evolving (e.g., who is considered Multiracial), providing researchers greater insight into the lived experience of Multiracial people. As researchers unpack the function race can play in identifying reasons for Multiracial alcohol-related disparities, it would be beneficial to remain cognizant of evolving findings to ensure research and subsequent interventions are culturally sensitive, inclusive, and tailored to the diverse and dynamic needs of Multiracial people.
Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (2021). Racial/ethnic differences in substance use, substance use disorders, and substance use treatment utilization among people aged 12 or older (2015-2019) (Publication No. PEP21-07-01-001). Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/racialethnic-differences-substance-use
Dobani, F., Zaso, M., Desalu, J. M., & Park, A. (2024). Alcohol use in multiracial American youth compared with monoracial youth: A meta‐analysis. Addiction, 119(1), 47-59. doi: 10.1111/add.16310
Resources are available for those struggling with addiction and numerous effective treatments exist. Whether you are looking for help for yourself or a loved one, we encourage you to seek out help.