How loneliness and culture shape risky drinking patterns
Official title: Acculturation, Social Context, Loneliness, and the Development of Alcohol Problems in Culturally Representative Individuals
Funded at University of Houston · NIH-11396959 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant explores why loneliness and cultural context influence risky drinking, with goals to help people in diverse communities understand and reduce problematic alcohol use.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Houston NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2023 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $636,199 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AA030889-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11396959 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults from diverse cultural backgrounds in the community who may experience loneliness and risky drinking.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without loneliness-related drinking concerns or not engaged in cultural-context factors may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
Loneliness can drive people to drink more as a way to cope, and cultural surroundings may shape this connection. The study uses a model called the ALMA Process to examine how acculturation and social factors predict loneliness, drinking motives, and alcohol problems in community members. Researchers plan to identify cultural and social predictors of loneliness and how they relate to the development of problematic drinking over time. The project involves gathering data from adults in Houston to understand these pathways and inform potential interventions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could guide culturally tailored strategies to reduce loneliness and prevent problematic alcohol use.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies linking loneliness and drinking have shown important associations, but this project tests a specific cultural-context model (ALMA) to guide interventions.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Houston
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Neighbors, Clayton — University of Houston
- Study coordinator: Neighbors, Clayton
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.