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Biculturalism, mental health, and the cultural environment: a longitudinal approach to examining the person-environment fit hypothesis

Description
Twenty-five percent of Americans are first- or second-generation immigrants (US Census, 2012). Thus, it is likely that many Americans identify with at least two cultures, that of the mainstream United States culture, and their ethnic culture from which they came, making them bicultural. However, current understanding of the impact of…

Twenty-five percent of Americans are first- or second-generation immigrants (US Census, 2012). Thus, it is likely that many Americans identify with at least two cultures, that of the mainstream United States culture, and their ethnic culture from which they came, making them bicultural. However, current understanding of the impact of biculturalism on psychological functioning is quite limited in scope, as few studies have examined this association longitudinally or considered the moderating role of the cultural environment. The present study proposed to take a more comprehensive approach in understanding the consequences of biculturalism on psychological outcomes (i.e., depression, anxiety, and substance abuse symptoms) among Mexican American adolescents, as they belong to one of largest and fastest growing ethnic groups in the United States (US Census, 2013). The present study had two major goals. The first was to examine the influence of biculturalism on depression, anxiety, and substance abuse symptoms longitudinally over the course of two years. It was hypothesized that overall, biculturalism will lead to less depression, anxiety, and substance abuse symptoms. The results partially supported these predictions. For males, biculturalism was related to significantly fewer anxiety symptoms, but not for females. Further, no main effects of biculturalism were found for depression and substance abuse for males or females. The second goal of the study was to examine the potential moderating role of the cultural environment on the influence of biculturalism on mental health symptoms. It was hypothesized that bicultural individuals will exhibit less mental health symptoms in bicultural environments (person-environment fit) compared to more monocultural individuals (person-environment misfit). However, no differences are expected to ii emerge between bicultural and monocultural individuals in monocultural environments, as both groups should be well adapted in these settings. The results did not fully support these predictions. Though, biculturalism for male adolescents was related to significantly fewer anxiety symptoms in home environments where parents reported moderate degrees of biculturalism, and females' biculturalism was related to significantly fewer depression symptoms in neighborhood environments that were relatively bicultural; no effects of biculturalism were found in environments that were the most bicultural. The implications of the findings are discussed.
ContributorsBasilio, Camille D (Author) / Knight, George P. (Thesis advisor) / Kwan, Virginia S.Y. (Committee member) / Roosa, Mark W. (Committee member) / Gonzales, Nancy (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
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The role of common and specific components of internalizing distress in predicting alcohol use among Mexican American adolescents

Description
Mexican American adolescents report high rates of internalizing symptomatology and alcohol use. However, very little research has explored to what extent internalizing distress may contribute to alcohol use among this population. The current study utilized longitudinal data from a community sample of Mexican American adolescents (n=626, 51% female) to test…

Mexican American adolescents report high rates of internalizing symptomatology and alcohol use. However, very little research has explored to what extent internalizing distress may contribute to alcohol use among this population. The current study utilized longitudinal data from a community sample of Mexican American adolescents (n=626, 51% female) to test a series of hypotheses about the role of internalizing distress on alcohol use and misuse. Specifically, this study used a bifactor modeling approach to investigate (1) whether different forms of internalizing distress are composed of common and unique components; (2) whether and to what extent such components confer risk for alcohol use; and (3) whether youth cultural orientation plays a role in these associations. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that a bifactor model with a general factor and three specific factors (depressed mood, general worry, social anxiety) provided good fit to the data. The general distress factor was significantly associated with past month alcohol use but not binge drinking. However, these effects were conditional based on level of acculturation. Differential relations were found between the specific factors of internalizing distress and alcohol use. Depressed mood predicted past month alcohol use among girls; social anxiety negatively predicted past three month binge drinking among boys. Overall, results highlight the multidimensional nature of internalizing distress and suggest that both common and unique components of internalizing distress may be relevant to the etiology of alcohol use among Mexican-American adolescents. Findings underscore the importance of considering cultural orientation as a moderating factor when investigating substance use among Hispanic youth. Implications for future research examining the etiological relevance of the internalizing pathway to alcohol use among Hispanic adolescents are discussed.
ContributorsNichter, Brandon (Author) / Gonzales, Nancy (Thesis advisor) / Chassin, Laurie (Committee member) / Barrera, Manuel (Committee member) / Tein, Jenn (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2018
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Hispanic Men's Perspectives Related to Health, Physical Activity, and Nutrition: A Qualitative Study

Description
Hispanic men are a relatively under researched group, especially in regards to their health. The few studies performed on this population have found evidence that institutional barriers and access to information are some of the factors that may be affecting their health (Cherrington, Ayala, Scarinci & Corbie-Smith, 2011). However, little…

Hispanic men are a relatively under researched group, especially in regards to their health. The few studies performed on this population have found evidence that institutional barriers and access to information are some of the factors that may be affecting their health (Cherrington, Ayala, Scarinci & Corbie-Smith, 2011). However, little is known about other elements that may be affecting their health. The goal of this study was to attain a better understanding of Hispanic men's perspective related to health, nutrition, and physical activity outside of work. These topics were explored by performing focus group discussions. Each focus group discussion was audio recorded. These recordings were then transcribed and coded. The codes were categorized and examined using thematic analysis to identify key concepts. The purpose of this method was to identify recurring themes across focus groups. The results indicated that institutional barriers do indeed impact the health of this population. Long hours at work were found to have a negative impact on nutrition and a positive impact on physical activity levels for many of the participants. Factors such as spousal support, family involvement, and physical activity at work were some of the factors found to positively impact the health of this population. Due to variable work schedules, it was found that the best way to reach this particular sample with information on health is through their wives.
ContributorsVarela, Monica (Author) / Crespo, Noe (Thesis director) / Garcia Perez, Maria (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2014-05
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Discrimination, Social Support, and Cortisol in Low-Income Hispanic Women and Infants

Description
Although discrimination is implicated in ethnic health disparities, social support may buffer against its negative effects on health. This study investigated whether prenatal maternal discrimination and social support would predict postpartum cortisol in low-income Hispanic women and infants. Among infants whose mothers reported high discrimination, low maternal social support was…

Although discrimination is implicated in ethnic health disparities, social support may buffer against its negative effects on health. This study investigated whether prenatal maternal discrimination and social support would predict postpartum cortisol in low-income Hispanic women and infants. Among infants whose mothers reported high discrimination, low maternal social support was associated with high infant cortisol (ß= -0.293, p= 0.03). This provides evidence for the social buffering hypothesis.
ContributorsJewell, Shannon Linda (Author) / Luecken, Linda (Thesis director) / Presson, Clark (Committee member) / Gonzales, Nancy (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Created2013-05

Investigation of the Causes and Implications of Health Misinformation on Hispanic Communities in the United States During Public Health Emergencies

Description

The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of health misinformation and the lack of credible health information as determinants of health disparities affecting the Hispanic population in the United States during public health emergencies. Using the COVID-19 pandemic as a quintessential and relevant exhibit of a public…

The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of health misinformation and the lack of credible health information as determinants of health disparities affecting the Hispanic population in the United States during public health emergencies. Using the COVID-19 pandemic as a quintessential and relevant exhibit of a public health emergency, a review of literature was conducted to identify the interactions between the accessibility of health misinformation and credible health information in exacerbating pre-existing socio-economic barriers that affect the Hispanic population. The findings of this study were then analyzed to develop solutions for future public health emergencies to ensure that vulnerable communities are provided equally accurate and accessible health information as non-vulnerable communities in order to promote a more effective nationwide public health response. These solutions include providing more educational resources to help vulnerable communities find accurate information online and increasing surveillance of misinformation sources online, especially in the Spanish language.
ContributorsRahman, Amir (Author) / Estevez, Dulce (Thesis director) / Hartwell, Leland (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2023-05

US Latinos’ Views on Physician Trust: the Impact it has on Quality of Care and Health Outcomes

Description

Interventions that increase access to care for Latinos lack to account for how trust in healthcare providers impact the usage of expanded access. This thesis looks to identify the levels of trust among US Latinos in health care providers, and how those levels of trust impact quality of care and…

Interventions that increase access to care for Latinos lack to account for how trust in healthcare providers impact the usage of expanded access. This thesis looks to identify the levels of trust among US Latinos in health care providers, and how those levels of trust impact quality of care and health outcomes. It will start with a detailed explanation of key terms that will be used throughout the text. Next, an overview of the health profile of US Latinos is presented to pinpoint where health inequities exist. After, it will provide historical context on why mistrust in medical providers might exist amongst US Latinos today. It will then look to establish the levels of trust in health care providers among Latinos currently living within the United States, relative to other racial and ethnic groups. Lastly, it will analyze how those levels of trust impact health behaviors, health outcomes, and quality of care for Latinos.
ContributorsEchevarria, Elijah (Author) / Vargas, Edward (Thesis director) / Lara-Valencia, Francisco (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2023-05