Hispanic Immigrants Research Articles

Gender differences of health literacy in first and second generation migrants: A systematic review

Abstract Background Health literacy, defined as all skills and capabilities that enable a person to access, understand, appraise and apply health information, is a key factor regarding disease management, health outcomes, and health-decision-making. Internationally, migrants have been identified as a high-risk group for limited health literacy. However, it remains unclear if female and male migrants process health information differently. This systematic review aims to analyze gender differences in the health literacy of first and second generation migrants. Methods We performed a systematic review according to PRISMA guidelines. We searched OVID (MEDLINE), PsychInfo and CINAHL for original articles providing extractable data on the health literacy of male and/or female migrants. Two reviewers independently reviewed abstracts and full text articles for according to predefined inclusion criteria, including the use of a validated health literacy measurement tool, applying it to first and/or second generation adult migrants. We adapted a data extraction sheet from the Cochrane Collaboration for extracting relevant data. The included studies were evaluated against a standardized set of quality criteria. Results Our search yielded 3411 records. We included 48 studies, of which 37 were conducted in the USA and Canada, with 22 focusing Hispanic and Asian immigrants’ functional health literacy; the nine European studies examined a variety of work migrants and refugees using a comprehensive approach (e.g. measured by the HLS-EU-Q47). Thus, a strong heterogeneity in defining and measuring health literacy and in the populations examined can be stated. 15 studies exclusively examined the health literacy of women; none dealt with men only. Conclusions The heterogeneity in defining and measuring health literacy in migrants as well as the diversity of the populations studied make it difficult to compare international research in this area. There is a lack of research focusing male migrants. Key messages International research on health literacy with gender-specific data on migrants reveals a strong heterogeneity in defining and measuring health literacy. International research on health literacy with gender-specific data on migrants reveals a lack of studies regarding male migrants’ health literacy.

Explaining Chronic Illness and Self-Rated Health Among Immigrants of Five Hispanic Ethnicities

The largest racial/ethnic minority group in the United States, Hispanics, especially Hispanic immigrants, have been considered healthier than groups of other ethnicity (including Whites, the majority). However, chronic illnesses such as cancer and diabetes are often seen in this culturally, ethnically diverse group. The present study had two aims. First was to explain twohealth outcomes, which were presence of chronic illness (any of the five common conditions cardiovascular disease, stroke, hypertension, cancer, and/or diabetes/prediabetes) and self-rated health, in terms of links to certain factors in acculturation, social status, health, social support, and lifestyle. Second was to determine how uniform these links might be across fiveethnic groups: Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, Central/South American. We combined data from 17 years of the National Health Interview Survey (1999-2015) and subjected these secondary measures to logistic and linear regression, separately by ethnicity, to explain both outcomes. With few exceptions, results generally linked illness/health to the tested independent variables. Additionally, results confirmed ethnicity to moderate the outcomes' associations with the independent variables. Ethnicity-specific analysis showed the two outcomes to exhibit dissimilar relationships with certain independent variables across ethnic groups. Research that (as has been common) lumps together respondents whose Hispanic ethnicities may differ disregards some meaningful variation rather than accounting for it. In future research-and in subsequent evidence-based policy/practice development-all essential sociocultural factors, including ethnicity, should be carefully outlined, advancing good health for the entire Hispanic immigrant population.

Las Dos Cosas Versus Exclusive Breastfeeding: A Culturally and Linguistically Exploratory Intervention Study in Hispanic Mothers Living in Kentucky.

Formula supplementation among infants of breastfeeding Hispanic immigrants is common practice known as las dos cosas. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility, effectiveness, and acceptability of a culturally and linguistically diverse intervention to promote exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for the first 6 months. A sample of 39 Hispanic pregnant women was recruited and randomly assigned to intervention (n = 20) and control groups (n = 19). The intervention included a peer counselor and professional support, and mothers were followed from pregnancy to 6 months after birth. After the study, women assigned to the intervention group were over three times more likely to EBF their baby through all four postpartum assessed time points (odds ratio = 3.1, 95% confidence interval: 1.1-8.7). This culturally and linguistically diverse intervention contributed to increased EBF duration and decreased formula supplementation in Hispanic mothers up to 6 months postpartum.

Immigrant and Minority Homeownership Experience: Evidence from the 2009 American Housing Survey

Using the 2009 American Housing Survey data and hazard model of homeownership and exit from homeownership, this paper finds that immigrants were worse off during the housing boom of 2000 compared to natives, both in terms of lower first homeownership and higher exit from homeownership. However, naturalized immigrants fared better than the non-naturalized immigrants. Among minorities, blacks had the lowest gain in their first homeownership during the boom and the highest loss from homeownership during the bust and the hazard of exit from homeownership was significantly higher compared to whites if the mortgage was obtained during 2001–2003. Hispanics, on the other hand, did not experience significant increase in homeownership nor did they face a higher exit from homeownership during the recent bust compared to whites. However, Hispanic immigrants were worse off in the recent housing market than Hispanic natives.

Families in Context: Food Insecurity Among Hispanic Immigrant and Nonimmigrant Households With Children.

Using restricted, geo-coded Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-2011 data (N = 2700) linked with 3 sources of contextual data, we examine whether a comprehensive set of individual, household, and county-level characteristics explains disparities in household food insecurity between Hispanic children of foreign- and US-born parents. Adjusting for individual, household, and county-level characteristics does not eliminate the higher odds of household food insecurity among Hispanic children in immigrant families, especially of Mexican origin. Moreover, growth in the noncitizen population at the county level is associated with food insecurity among Hispanic families, though the impact differs by parental nativity.

Familism and the Hispanic Health Advantage: The Role of Immigrant Status.

It is well known that Hispanic immigrants exhibit better physical and mental health than their U.S.-born counterparts. Scholars theorize that stronger orientations toward the family, also known as familism, could contribute to this immigrant advantage. Yet, little work directly tests whether familial attitudes may be responsible for the favorable health of foreign-born Hispanics. We investigate this possibility using biomarkers, anthropometrics, and mental health assessments from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (N = 4,078). Results demonstrate that the relationship between familial attitudes and health vary depending on the outcome assessed. While Hispanics with strong attitudes toward familial support have fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety, those who report high referent familism display worse mental health outcomes. We find little evidence that familism is linked to physical health or that immigrant generation moderates the relationship of interest. Our results challenge assumptions that familism is responsible for the comparably better health of foreign-born Hispanics.

Familism and the Hispanic Health Advantage: The Role of Immigrant Status.

It is well known that Hispanic immigrants exhibit better physical and mental health than their U.S.-born counterparts. Scholars theorize that stronger orientations toward the family, also known as familism, could contribute to this immigrant advantage. Yet, little work directly tests whether familial attitudes may be responsible for the favorable health of foreign-born Hispanics. We investigate this possibility using biomarkers, anthropometrics, and mental health assessments from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (N = 4,078). Results demonstrate that the relationship between familial attitudes and health vary depending on the outcome assessed. While Hispanics with strong attitudes toward familial support have fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety, those who report high referent familism display worse mental health outcomes. We find little evidence that familism is linked to physical health or that immigrant generation moderates the relationship of interest. Our results challenge assumptions that familism is responsible for the comparably better health of foreign-born Hispanics.

Examining the Directionality Between Identity Development and Depressive Symptoms Among Recently Immigrated Hispanic Adolescents.

Although personal identity development has been conceptualized as a source of psychological stability and protective against depressive symptoms among Hispanic immigrants, there remains ambiguity regarding the directional relationship between identity development and depression. To address this limitation, the current study sought to establish directionality between identity development and depressive symptoms. The sample consisted of 302 recent (<5 years) immigrant Hispanic adolescents (53.3% boys; Mage = 14.51 years at baseline; SD = 0.88 years) from Miami and Los Angeles who participated in a longitudinal study. The findings suggested a bidirectional relationship between identity and depressive symptoms such that identity coherence negatively predicted depressive symptoms, yet depressive symptoms also negatively predicted coherence and positively predicted subsequent identity confusion. Findings not only provide further evidence for the protective role of identity development during times of acute cultural transitions, but also emphasize the need for research to examine how depressive symptoms, and psychopathology more broadly, may interfere with establishing a sense of self.

Prescription opioid misuse among U.S. Hispanics

BackgroundAs a risk factor for addiction, heroin use, and overdose, the misuse of prescription opioids represents a critical public health challenge. While public attention has primarily centered on opioid misuse among White individuals, less attention has been devoted to opioid misuse among one of the United States' fastest-growing demographic groups: Hispanic immigrants and their descendants. This study therefore examined prescription opioid misuse among U.S. Hispanic adults, with attention to within-group differences and the role of acculturation-related characteristics. MethodsData were derived from the 7037 U.S. Hispanic adults in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III (2012−2013). Weighted proportions, adjusted odds ratios, and 95% confidence intervals were computed for past-year and lifetime prescription opioid misuse. Binomial logistic regression models examined the association between acculturation-related characteristics and prescription opioid misuse. ResultsPast-year prevalence of prescription opioid misuse among U.S. Hispanic adults was lower in the first generation (1.6%), compared with the second (4.1%), third (6.8%), and higher-than-third (6.2%) generations, and a similar pattern was observed for lifetime prevalence. Higher generation, greater English language orientation, and length of time living in the United States were significantly associated with higher odds of past-year and lifetime prescription opioid misuse. ConclusionsRelying solely on comparisons of prevalence between ethnic groups may obscure significant variations within ethnic groups. Second, third, and higher generation Hispanics are higher-risk subgroups, with rates of prescription opioid misuse approaching or surpassing the rates reported among non-Hispanic Whites.

The Civic Orientation and Political Assimilation of Latino Immigrant Youth

ABSTRACTIn recent decades, the rapid and unprecedented expansion of the Latino immigrant population has dramatically reshaped the face of American society. Unfortunately, current scholarship on this topic largely overlooks a key cohort: adolescent and young adult Latino immigrants. Our lack of understanding regarding the political inclinations of this population is highly problematic if we wish to know where Latino politics is headed in the coming decades. Data from The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health are used to systematically explore and test the core assumptions of several competing assimilation theories applied to Latino immigrant youths. Bivariate analyses suggest that young Hispanic immigrants lag behind their non-Latino and Black and White peers in electoral participation and political partisanship, and minimal differences are noted in commitment to key civic orientations. However, regression analyses that include controls for SES and other contextual variables in most cases reveal no differences between young Latino immigrants and their peers in their commitment to political engagement and crucial civic values. On the whole, our findings largely confirm the expectations of mainline assimilation theory and suggest young Latino immigrants are trending toward integration into the national civic community.

Federal Sentencing of Hispanic Defendants in Changing Immigrant Destinations

Research shows that federal punishment disparity between Hispanic and white defendants varies according to federal district court contexts. Recent sociological scholarship has also drawn distinctions between traditional Hispanic immigrant destinations and new or emerging immigrant destinations, and depicted the reception of Hispanic immigrants in new immigrant destinations as less welcoming and supportive than in traditional destinations. We examine whether federal courts in different Hispanic immigrant destinations exhibit differing levels of Hispanic citizen and non-citizen sentencing disadvantage circa 2000, and then circa 2010. We find that traditional destinations exhibit little or no Hispanic versus non-Hispanic disparity, while Hispanic citizens and non-citizens both received longer sentences in new destinations and in non-immigrant destinations circa 2000. By the early 2010s, emerging destinations did not sentence Hispanic citizens and non-citizens significantly differently from traditional destinations. However, new destinations, along with non-immigrant destinations, sentenced Hispanic non-citizens more harshly, especially the undocumented.

Dimensions of Inequality: Black Immigrants’ Occupational Segregation in the United States

The U.S. labor market is increasingly made up of immigrant workers, and considerable research has focused on occupational segregation as an indicator of their labor market incorporation. However, most studies focus on Hispanic populations, excluding one of the fastest growing immigrant groups: foreign-born blacks. Because of their shared race, African and Caribbean immigrants may experience the same structural barriers as U.S.-born blacks. However, researchers hypothesize that black immigrants are advantaged in the labor market relative to U.S.-born blacks because of social network hiring and less discrimination by employers. Using 2011–2015 pooled American Community Survey data, this study is among the first quantitative studies to examine black immigrants’ occupational segregation in the United States. The authors use the Duncan and Duncan Dissimilarity Index to estimate black immigrants’ segregation from U.S.-born whites and blacks and regression analyses to identify predictors of occupational segregation. Consistent with previous work focusing on Hispanic immigrants, foreign-born blacks are highly overrepresented in a few occupations. African and Caribbean immigrants experience more occupational segregation from whites than the U.S.-born, with African immigrants most segregated. Africans are also more segregated from U.S.-born blacks than Caribbean immigrants. Results of the regression analyses suggest that African immigrants are penalized rather than rewarded for educational attainment. The authors find that the size of the coethnic population and the share of coethnics who are self-employed are associated with a decline in occupational segregation. Future research is needed to determine the impact of lower occupational segregation on the income of self-employed black immigrants.

Immigration, Deportation, and Discrimination: Hispanic Political Opinion Since the Election of Donald Trump

Both the campaign and subsequent election of Donald Trump have brought about marked changes in the overall tone of American political discourse. It is thought that these changes have been particularly disruptive to the public’s view of Hispanic immigration. To evaluate the current state of Hispanic political opinion regarding immigration, this study draws upon data from a survey conducted in January 2018 of 1,080 people of Hispanic descent currently living in the United States or Puerto Rico. Researchers looked at the impact of age, gender, language preference, time lived in the United States, and knowing an undocumented immigrant on participants’ views of immigration. Taking the survey in Spanish and knowing an undocumented immigrant were found to be the most influential factors in determining a favorable view of undocumented immigrants as well as a perceived increase in discrimination toward Hispanics since Trump’s election.

THE CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC VALUE OF THE SPANISH

The purpose of the publication is to study cultural, literary and economic significance of the Spanish. Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world. More than 550 million people around the world speak Spanish, some 7.6 % of the global population. It is the official language of 21 countries. Undoubtedly, the Spanish language is a means of acquiring knowledge, an element of identification in Hispanic countries. The challenge is to strengthen and seek strategies in different areas in order to legitimize it.&#x0D; In 1492, Antonio de Nebrija published a book called «Grammar of the Castilian Language» (Gramática Castellana de Antonio Nebrija). In the prologue, the scholar defined the Spanish language the way it could endure and flourish in centuries to come. Thanks to Antonio Nebrija, the Spanish language is the first modern language in the world, which was already established and taken for granted 5 centuries ago. The Royal Spanish Academy along with the Association of Spanish Language Academies have regulated the Spanish language and established common rules for the entire Spanish-speaking world.&#x0D; There are following peculiarities of the Spanish language: &#x0D; &#x0D; the most united among the major languages of the world;&#x0D; fast-growing Spanish-speaking population, including native speakers and those studying Spanish as a second language, as well as users of the web pages;&#x0D; growing cultural influence: 12 laureates of the Nobel Prize literature (6 Spaniards, 2 Chileans, 1 Mexican, 1 Peruvian, 1 Colombian and 1 Guatemalan);&#x0D; growing use of Spanish in the United States, driven primarily by Hispanic immigration to the territory, belonging to the Spaniards in ancient times;&#x0D; growing economy of the Spanish-speaking countries.&#x0D; &#x0D; The Language is about economic prosperity: the more people use it, the more valuable it becomes. If a common language is used in negotiations, then transaction costs are reduced. In this respect, Spanish is the key to the successful conduct and control of negotiations, as well as a means of management that facilitates international trade.&#x0D; It's not about competing with the English language. It about improving the international status of the Spanish language, which requires strengthening in international diplomacy, science and technology.

Perceived discrimination and well-being among unauthorized Hispanic immigrants: The moderating role of ethnic/racial group identity centrality.

We investigated the association between perceived ethnic discrimination with psychological well-being and life satisfaction among a community sample of unauthorized Hispanic immigrants in the United States. We also assessed whether ethnic/racial group identity centrality moderated this relationship. A community sample of self-reported unauthorized Hispanics (N = 140) completed questionnaires assessing perceived ethnic discrimination, ethnic/racial group identity centrality, psychological well-being, and life satisfaction. Discrimination negatively predicted psychological well-being and life satisfaction, and ethnic/racial group identity centrality moderated these relationships. High ethnic/racial group identity centrality reduced the association of discrimination with psychological well-being and life satisfaction. Ethnic/racial identity centrality lent psychological protection for those who reported higher levels of discrimination. Ethnic discrimination is a salient stressor for unauthorized Hispanic immigrants. Yet high ethnic/racial group identity centrality may protect these individuals from the negative effects of discrimination by providing a sense of belonging, acceptance, and social support in the face of rejection. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

The Effects of Minimum Wages on Low‐Skilled Immigrants’ Wages, Employment, and Poverty

Raising the minimum wage has been advanced as complementary policy to comprehensive immigration reform to improve low‐skilled immigrants’ economic well‐being. While adverse labor demand effects could undermine this goal, existing studies do not detect evidence of negative employment effects. We re‐investigate this question using data from the 1994 to 2016 Current Population Survey and conclude that minimum wage increases reduced employment of less‐educated Hispanic immigrants, with estimated elasticities of around –0.1. However, we also find that the wage and employment effects of minimum wages on low‐skilled immigrants diminished over the last decade. This finding is consistent with more restrictive state immigration policies and the Great Recession inducing outmigration of low‐skilled immigrants, as well as immigrants moving into the informal sector. Finally, our results show that raising the minimum wage is an ineffective policy tool for reducing poverty among immigrants.

Hispanic neighbourhood satisfaction in new and established metropolitan destinations

As one of the more important recent population shifts in the USA, the migration of Hispanics into new immigrant metropolitan gateways has received significant scholarly attention. Much of this attention has been paid to understanding how Hispanic residential experiences and environmental characteristics differ between new and traditional destinations. This study contributes to this literature by using 2013 American Housing Survey data to examine differences in the levels and determinants of Hispanic neighbourhood satisfaction by Hispanic destination type. The study pays specific attention to the role of neighbourhood social capital and explores differences between native- and foreign-born Hispanics. Findings reveal that Hispanics report higher neighbourhood satisfaction levels in new destinations compared with new destination white residents and Hispanics living in established destinations. The effects of social cohesion, social control and physical disorder on neighbourhood satisfaction are similar across destination type and nativity. However, the influence of metropolitan area characteristics varies by destination type and is specific to foreign-born Hispanics. Whereas low-skilled employment and Hispanic isolation affect the neighbourhood satisfaction of Hispanic immigrants in established areas, foreign-born segregation influences satisfaction levels in new destinations. The study provides evidence of Hispanic residential adaptation in new destinations with differential determinants across destination type and nativity.

Would the elimination of obesity and smoking reduce U.S. racial/ethnic/nativity disparities in total and healthy life expectancy?

Obesity and smoking are the two leading causes of preventable death and disability in the United States. Both of these health risks are socially patterned in ways that likely produce racial/ethnic/nativity disparities in total and healthy life expectancy. The current study simulates the extent to which the hypothetical elimination of smoking and obesity would change disparities in longevity and disability by analyzing data from 19,574 U.S.-born white, black, Hispanic and foreign-born Hispanic men and women in the 1999–2000 through 2009–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and linked mortality files. Results suggest that the elimination of both obesity and smoking would significantly narrow disparities in total and healthy life expectancy between black and white adults and remaining differences are statistically non-significant. The longstanding life expectancy advantage of Hispanic immigrants over whites is reduced, but remains large. The life expectancy advantage of U.S.-born Hispanics is reduced as well, though to a smaller extent than what is observed for Hispanic immigrants. There were no significant observed healthy life expectancy differences between white and U.S.-born Hispanic adults. Overall study results suggest that the elimination of obesity and smoking would change the shape of racial/ethnic/nativity disparities in ways that would result in greater health equity.

Carpooling and drivers without household vehicles: gender disparity in automobility among Hispanics and non-Hispanics in the U.S.

Personal automobility is critical for accessing economic and social opportunities in the auto-oriented built environment of the United States. Despite declines over the past 40 years, household carpooling remains the most popular alternative mode to solo-driving regardless of demographic group. While carpooling provides a degree of automobility, carpool-dependent passengers often suffer from practical and other disadvantages. This paper explores gender gaps and ethnicity in personal automobility levels, particularly among Hispanics. The analysis explicitly considers drivers’ access to household vehicles and non-drivers’ access to household carpooling. The research finds that Hispanic females, especially immigrants, are low in automobility, both in the probability of being a driver and in access to household vehicles. The large gender gap is specific to Hispanics, and differs from gaps found for non-Hispanic Whites or Blacks. The gender gap decreases, but persists, as immigrant Hispanics stay longer in the U.S., gain or maintain employment, or become college-educated. Surprisingly, the gender gap in personal automobility level exists even among U.S. native Hispanics. Gender gaps in personal automobility among different ethnicity groups, particularly Hispanics, merit more study, especially as commercial car-sharing and ridesharing services become more common.

Are we validly assessing major depression disorder risk and associated factors among mothers of young children? A cross-sectional study involving home visitation programs.

Failure to account for misclassification error accruing from imperfect case-finding instruments can produce biased estimates of suspected major depression disorder (MDD) risk factor associations. The objective of this study was to estimate the impact of misclassification error on the magnitude of measures of association between suspected risk factors and MDD assessed using the Center of Epidemiological Studies on Depression—Short Form during the prenatal and postnatal periods. Baseline data were collected from 520 mothers participating in two home visitation studies in Oklahoma City between 2010 and 2014. A Bayesian binomial latent class model was used to compare the prevalence proportion ratio (PPR) between suspected risk factors and MDD with and without adjustment for misclassification error and confounding by period of MDD symptom on-set. Adjustment for misclassification error and confounding by period of MDD on-set (prenatal vs postnatal) showed that the association between suspected risk factors and MDD is underestimated (-) and overestimated (+) differentially in different source populations of low-income mothers. The median bias in the magnitude of PPR estimates ranged between -.47 (95% Bayesian Credible Intervals [BCI]: -10.67, 1.90) for intimate partner violence to +.06 (95%BCI: -0.37, 0.47) for race/ethnicity among native-born US residents. Among recent Hispanic immigrants, bias ranged from -.77 (95%BCI: -15.31, 0.96) for history of childhood maltreatment to +.10 (95%BCI: -0.17, 0.39) for adequacy of family resources. Overall, the extent of bias on measures of association between maternal MDD and suspected risk factors is considerable without adjustment for misclassification error and is even higher for confounding by period of MDD assessment. Consideration of these biases in MDD prevention research is warranted.