Measuring Racial Discrimination

Objective This study examined associations of family cohesion and acculturation gap conflicts with depressive symptoms, as well as the moderation effect of family cohesion on the association between acculturation gap conflicts and depressive symptoms among Latinx emerging adults. Background In addition to normative developmental stressors (e.g., making long-term career decisions), many Latinx emerging adults face additional sociocultural stressors (acculturative stress, ethnic discrimination) that put them at risk of experiencing adverse psychological outcomes. However, acculturation gap conflicts have not been examined much in this population. Method Data from a cross-sectional survey were collected from 200 participants from Arizona (n = 99) and Florida (n = 101). Hierarchical multiple regression and moderation analyses were conducted to examine the association between acculturation gap conflicts and depressive symptoms and the moderating effects of family cohesion of that respective association. Results Higher family cohesion was associated with lower depressive symptoms. Conversely, higher acculturation gap conflicts were associated with higher depressive symptoms. Moderation analyses indicated that family cohesion moderated the association between acculturation gap conflicts and depressive symptoms. Conclusion This study adds to the limited literature on acculturation gap conflicts among Latinx emerging adults and advances our understanding of the role of family cohesion as a modifiable moderator. Implications It is critical to identify culturally relevant and modifiable determinants that can have beneficial or adverse associations with the mental health of Latinx emerging adults. Findings from this study have the potential to inform intervention for mental health targeting Latinx emerging adults. 

Depressive symptoms, family cohesion, and acculturation gap conflicts among Latinx emerging adults living in the United States

Abstract Background Immigrants comprise over 40% of the low‐wage workforce. They are more likely to be employed in service industries, paid less, and experience more illness and injuries than their native counterparts. Design/Objective The aim of this cross‐sectional pilot study was to explore the relationship between immigrant workers' stressors and health. Sample Twenty‐five female Mexican immigrant hotel workers. Measurements Surveys and blood samples were analyzed and compared to national data. Descriptive statistics and linear regression were used for analysis. Results Longer length of stay, older age at migration, and higher Demands of Immigration (DI) were significantly associated with more chronic conditions. Higher DI were significantly associated with more depressive symptoms. This is comparable to national data (n = 468) which shows a significant relationship between length of stay, Allostatic Load (AL), and chronic conditions (β = 0.14, p = .043; β = 0.13, p = .025). Conclusions Immigrant‐specific factors affect individuals’ health. More studies are needed to further explore the relationship between DI and health among foreign‐born workers.

Immigration‐related stressors and health outcomes among low‐wage immigrant hotel workers: A pilot study

Epidemiologic studies have documented the associations between experiences of discrimination and adverse health outcomes. However, the relationship between discrimination and mortality, and the factors that may moderate this relationship are not well understood. This study examined whether lifetime and everyday discrimination were associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality and whether these associations differed by race and ethnicity, gender, and racial and ethnic residential segregation.The study included 1633 Black, 1403 Hispanic/Latino, and 2473 White participants aged 45 to 84 years from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, enrolled from 2000 to 2002 and followed across 5 exams (2002-2018). Discrimination was measured using the lifetime discrimination (major experiences of unfair treatment) and everyday discrimination (day-to-day experiences of unfair treatment) scales. Racial and ethnic residential segregation was measured using the Gi* statistic. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, health behaviors, and clinical risk factors.Each increase in reports of lifetime discrimination was associated with increased all-cause (HR, 1.06 [95% CI, 1.00-1.11]) and cardiovascular (HR, 1.15 [95% CI, 1.04-1.27]) mortality, adjusting for sociodemographic factors, health behaviors, and clinical risk factors. Associations between lifetime discrimination and cardiovascular mortality were observed across all racial and ethnic groups but were strongest and only statistically significant among Black participants (HR, 1.18 [95% CI, 1.02-1.37]). Additionally, in the fully adjusted model, each increase in reports of everyday discrimination was strongly associated with increased cardiovascular mortality (HR, 1.21 [95% CI, 1.03-1.43]). Associations for lifetime and everyday discrimination with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality were not modified by race and ethnicity, gender, or racial and ethnic residential segregation.These findings suggest that experiences of discrimination are associated with increased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. 

https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.122.009697

Discrimination Experiences and All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality: Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Acculturative Stress and Self-rated Health among Hispanic Emerging Adults: Examining the Moderating Effects of the Social Environment and Social Support.

Experiences of Ethnic Discrimination Among US Hispanics: Intersections of Language, Heritage, and Discrimination Setting.

This study investigated the relationship between race and psychological distress among Latinxs in the United States. Using data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) 2010-2018, we estimated the relative risk ratios (RRR) of experiencing psychological distress among White, Black and Other Latinxs from Mexico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. Results revealed that Black Latinxs experienced higher levels of psychological distress than their White counterparts. Additional analysis among and within groups showed that Puerto Ricans and Dominicans reported higher psychological distress than Mexicans, and that race was associated with the distress of Cubans and Mexicans, but not with the distress of Puerto Ricans and Dominicans. Future work on the effect of racial self-identification on Latinxs’ mental health-related outcomes, such as psychological distress, should include multidimensional measures of racial identity, such as self-reported and ascribed race, racial ideology, as well as measures of skin color and discrimination. Integrating racialization experiences during clinical assessments would help practitioners to gain a more comprehensive picture of how these identities and experiences may shape the stress, distress, and mental health outcomes (e.g., depression, anxiety) of different racial and ethnic Latinx groups in the U.S.

Victor Figuereo

Papers

Experiences of Ethnic Discrimination Among US Hispanics: Intersections of Language, Heritage, and Discrimination Setting.

Racialization and Psychological Distress among U.S. Latinxs.