Abstract
Purpose: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health problem that disproportionately affects racial/ethnic minorities in the U.S. This study examines risk factors for IPV perpetration that are salient for racial/ethnic minorities; specifically, we test if racial/ethnic discrimination among Latino men is associated with IPV perpetration, if poor mental health (MH) mediates this link, and whether relationships differ by immigrant status. Methods: Using National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC-II) Wave 2 (2004–2005) data, multigroup structural equation modeling compared immigrant (N = 1187) and U.S.-born (N = 1077) Latinos on a mediation model whereby discrimination increases IPV risk via poor MH (anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress (PTSS); alcohol dependence (AD) and drug dependence (DD)). Results: For U.S.-born Latinos, discrimination increased anxiety (β = 0.24, p < 0.001), depression (β = 0.16, p < 0.001), PTSS (β = 0.09, p < 0.001), AD (β = 0.11, p < 0.001) and DD (β = 0.16, p < 0.001); anxiety (β = 0.16, p < 0.001), AD (β = 0.19, p < 0.001) and DD (β = 0.09, p < 0.01) increased IPV risk. Among Latino immigrants, discrimination increased anxiety (β = 0.07, p < 0.001), depression (β = 0.16, p < 0.001), PTSS (β = 0.08, p < 0.001) and DD (β = 0.03, p < 0.001); PTSS (β = 0.16, p < 0.001), AD (β = 0.21, p < 0.001) and DD (β = 0.05, p < 0.01) increased IPV risk. Conclusions: Among Latino men, discrimination is associated with poorer MH and contributes to IPV perpetration; MH risk factors vary by immigrant status.
Highlights
In the U.S, Latinos are an ethnic minority group that consist of Latin American immigrants and their descendants
Among Latino men, discrimination is associated with poorer mental health (MH) and contributes to Intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration; MH risk factors vary by immigrant status
The MH measures had positive, significant correlations with each other, except there were no significant correlations between anxiety and alcohol dependence nor anxiety and drug dependence
Summary
In the U.S, Latinos are an ethnic minority group that consist of Latin American immigrants and their descendants. As with other ethnic minorities, Latinos have faced multiple injustices throughout. U.S history ranging from segregation to lynchings to mass deportations [1,2,3], and continue to face discrimination today [4]. Mexicans and their descendants, have been part of the. It was not until recently that Latinos became a significant portion of the U.S population. In 1966, Latinos made up only 4%. Of the total U.S population [5]. That number has more than quadrupled, with Latinos making up nearly 18% of the total population in 2019 [6]. Latinos increased from 16% to 18% of the total
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