Mexican-origin Immigrants Research Articles

A Culturally Adapted Parenting Intervention for Mexican-Origin Immigrant Families with Adolescents: Integrating Science, Culture, and a Focus on Immigration-Related Adversity.

Low-income Latina/o immigrants are very likely to experience intense contextual challenges in the USA, such as limited exposure to culturally relevant parent training (PT) prevention interventions. This prevention study consisted of an exploratory randomized controlled trial, aimed at empirically testing the implementation feasibility and initial efficacy of a culturally adapted version of the evidence-based PT intervention known as GenerationPMTO©. The parenting intervention was adapted to overtly address immigration-related stressors, discrimination, and challenges associated with biculturalism. Seventy-one Mexican-origin immigrant mothers participated in this study and were allocated to one of two conditions: (a) culturally adapted GenerationPMTO (i.e., CAPAS-Youth) or (b) wait-list control. Measurements were completed at baseline (T1) and intervention completion (T2). When compared to mothers in the control condition at T2, CAPAS-Youth participants reported significant improvements on four of the core parenting practices delivered in the CAPAS-Youth intervention. As hypothesized, no significant differences in limit-setting skills were identified at T2. With regards to adolescents' outcomes, mothers exposed to CAPAS-Youth reported significant improvements in youth internalizing and externalizing behaviors at T2 when compared to a wait-list control condition. Mothers in both conditions also reported significant reductions in levels of immigration-related stress. Current findings indicate the feasibility of implementing CAPAS-Youth within a context of considerable adversity, as well as the beneficial impacts of the parent-based intervention on salient parenting and youth outcomes.

Family Coping among Mexican-Origin Immigrants: Links to Child Mental Health

Family and culture play primary roles in the development of positive mental health functioning for Latino youth. This study utilized observational methods to assess family coping strategies among a population at risk for high levels of stress. Participants were 104 Mexican-origin immigrant families with a child between the ages of 6–10 (Mage = 8.39; 61% female). Families completed a set of audio- and video-recorded observational interaction tasks involving hypothetical situations relevant to low-income immigrant families and appropriate for discussion with young children, in which families were asked to discuss how they would manage or respond to the situation. Following observational tasks, questionnaire measures of familism and mental health were administered verbally. Longitudinal regression analyses showed that observed family reframing and family problem solving were associated with better mental health functioning over one year among children. However, passive appraisal, mobilizing support from the community, and spiritual support were linked to worse mental health outcomes over time for children. Familism showed significant moderation in only one model, suggesting effects of family coping may not differ across levels of familism. Family reframing and family problem solving may be important factors to consider in the promotion of child mental health.

Addressing Immigration-Related Stress in a Culturally Adapted Parenting Intervention for Mexican-Origin Immigrants: Initial Positive Effects and Key Areas of Improvement.

Culturally adapted evidence-based parenting interventions constitute a key strategy to reduce widespread mental health disparities experienced by Latinx populations throughout the United States. Most recently, the relevance of culturally adapted parenting interventions has become more prominent as vulnerable Latinx populations are exposed to considerable contextual stressors resulting from an increasingly anti-immigration climate in the country. The current study was embedded within a larger NIMH-funded investigation, aimed at contrasting the differential impact of two culturally adapted versions of the evidence-based parenting intervention known as GenerationPMTO©. Specifically, a sample of low-income Mexican-origin immigrants was exposed either to a culturally adapted version of GenerationPMTO primarily focused on parent training components, or to an enhanced culturally adapted version in which parenting components were complemented by sessions focused on immigration-related challenges. The sample for the study consisted of 103 Mexican-origin immigrant families (190 individual parents). Descriptive analysis and generalized estimating equations (GEEs) indicated that exposure to the enhanced intervention, which included context- and culture-specific sessions, resulted in specific benefits for parents. However, the magnitude of the impact was not uniform for mothers and fathers and differed according to the type of immigration-related stress being examined (i.e., intrafamilial vs. extrafamilial stress). Overall, findings indicate the relevance of overtly addressing contextual (e.g., discrimination) and cultural challenges in culturally adapted interventions, as well as the need to increase precision according to the extent to which immigration-related stressors impact immigrant mothers and fathers in common and contrasting ways. Implications for family therapy practice and research are discussed.

Measures of Acculturation and Relations to zBMI among Mexican-Origin Youth

Risk for obesity increases for Mexican-origin immigrants and their children upon arrival in the USA. Acculturative factors have been shown to play a role, but the significance and directionality of this relation may differ based on the method used to measure acculturation. This study examines the cross-sectional relations between several measures of acculturation and child zBMI, as well as the 12-month longitudinal relations between these measures and child BMI (adjusted for age and gender), in a sample of 102 6- to 11-year-old, Mexican-origin youth. Cross-sectional results indicated that two measures, greater preference for English and higher Anglo Orientation, were positively associated cross-sectionally with higher zBMI (p = 0.002 and p = 0.011, respectively). Only English language preference remained significant in longitudinal analyses (p = 0.047). Parental duration of residence and the child's number of immigrant parents were not significantly associated with zBMI cross-sectionally or BMI longitudinally. These findings suggest that language proxy measures of acculturation present similar findings to multidimensional measures when assessing child weight and support the idea that behavioral or emotional changes that accompany integration into US culture may contribute to obesity development.

Life Expectancies With Depression by Age of Migration and Gender Among Older Mexican Americans.

Prior studies examining depression among older Mexican Americans suggest both women and immigrants are at higher risk of depressive symptomatology than males and U.S.-born Mexican Americans. We use data from the Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly to examine whether life expectancy with depression and without depression varies by nativity, age of migration, and gender. Sullivan-based life tables were used to estimate depression life expectancies among Mexican Americans aged 65 years and older residing in the Southwestern United States. Depression is based on the 20-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (CES-D). The CES-D is a continuous scale (0-60) with higher values indicating worse mental health. We dichotomize depression as a score of 16 or greater. Immigrant women, particularly those who migrated in late-life (after age 50) are at a significant disadvantage in the number of years after age 65 lived with depression and the ratio of years spent without depression relative to U.S.-born women. Among men, only late-life immigrants were disadvantaged in the number of years spent with depression. Early- and mid-life immigrant males did not differ from U.S.-born males. Our results highlight the heterogeneity among older Mexican Americans in life expectancies with depression. These findings illustrate the importance of considering age of migration as a high-risk factor for depression among Mexican-origin immigrants. Including this risk factor as a part of depression screening is a key step for timely interventions in preventing disability and comorbidities associated with untreated depression.

Mental Health Among Mexican-Origin Immigrant Families: The Roles of Cumulative Sociodemographic Risk and Immigrant-Related Stress

The current study examined the unique effects of cumulative sociodemographic risk and immigrant-related stress on mental health symptoms among Mexican-origin immigrant parents and their school-age children. Further, this study tested whether the effects of cumulative sociodemographic risk and immigrant-related stress on child mental health were mediated by parent mental health. Participants included 104 Mexican-origin immigrant families. Families in the study had a child between the ages of 6 and 10 (Mage = 8.39; 61% female). Data were collected across three time points spaced 6 months apart. Immigrant-related stress was found to predict parent mental health, which in turn predicted child mental health. Cumulative sociodemographic risk did not predict parent or child mental health. Mental health symptoms generally decreased over time, but for children, change in mental health symptoms depended on parent mental health symptoms. Given the high levels of mental health symptoms among Mexican-origin parents and children, reducing a context of stress and promoting mental health interventions for Mexican-origin immigrants is critical.

Association Between Immigration History and Inflammatory Marker Profiles Among Older Adult Mexican Americans

ABSTRACTForeign-born Hispanics have better cardiometabolic health upon arrival in the US than their US-born counterparts, yet this advantage diminishes as duration of residence in the US increases. Underlying mechanisms explaining this paradox have been understudied. Using data from the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging (SALSA), this study examined immigration history (immigrant generation and duration of US residence) in relation to biomarkers of inflammation (interleukin-6 (IL-6), soluble forms of type 1 and 2 receptors of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (sTNF-R1 and sTNF-R2), C-reactive protein (CRP), leptin, adiponectin) in a sample of 1,290 predominantly Mexican-origin immigrants. Second and ≥3rd generation immigrants had higher IL-6 and leptin levels than 1st generation immigrants living in the US for less than 15 years (2nd generation percent difference = 45.9; 95% CI: 24.7, 70.7 and 3rd generation percent difference = 41.8; 95% CI: 17.7, 70.4). CRP and sTNF-R1 levels were higher among ≥3rd generation immigrants than 1st generation immigrants with less than 15 years of US residency. Worse inflammatory profiles were observed among Mexican-origin immigrants with longer US immigration histories, independent of health, and behavioral factors. Additional research is warranted to understand the factors that shape trajectories of biological risk across generations of Hispanics.

JessicaVasquez‐Tokos, Marriage Vows and Racial Choices, New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 2017. xi + 272 p. $26.00.

JessicaVasquez‐Tokos, Marriage Vows and Racial Choices, New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 2017. xi + 272 p. $26.00.

Parent Perceptions of Child Weight Status in Mexican-Origin Immigrant Families: An Investigation of Acculturation, Stress, and Coping Factors.

Parents often underestimate their child's weight status, particularly when the child is overweight or obese. This study examined acculturation, stress, coping, and involuntary responses to stress and their relation to estimation of child's weight status among Mexican-origin immigrant families. Eighty-six families provided data on child's height and weight, caregiver's perception of their child's weight status, and caregiver's responses to acculturation, stress, and coping scales. Parents underestimated their child's weight status, particularly when the child was overweight or obese. Although acculturation and stress were not associated with accuracy, parents' responses to stress were linked to parent perceptions. Parents who reported more frequent use of involuntary engagement (e.g., rumination, physiological arousal) were more accurate. Future research, as well as healthcare providers, should consider how parents manage and respond to stress in order to fully understand the factors that explain weight perceptions among Mexican-origin immigrant parents.

Physical Functioning and Disability Trajectories by Age of Migration Among Mexican Elders in the United States.

To address a gap in our understanding of the long-term consequences of nativity and age of migration for the health of the Mexican elderly population. We employ age graded latent growth curve models stratified by gender to examine the extent of physical functioning and disability, measured in terms of performance-oriented mobility assessments (POMAs) and activities of daily living (ADLs) after age 65 in a large longitudinal sample of Mexican-origin individuals. Self-care measured ADLs show no age of migration differences. However, physical capacity measured POMAs differ significantly for men and women by age of migration. Migrants who arrived in midlife have fewer functional limitations at age 65 but have steeper increase in POMAs with age. With a rapidly changing demographic profile that includes a large number of aging Mexican-origin immigrants, our society must implement social and health policies to ameliorate the negative health outcomes among immigrant and U.S.-born minority groups.

Comunicación para la inclusión social de minorías. La Clase Mágica, un modelo de intervención para el cambio social

Las minorías culturales y étnicas son con frecuencia los grupos más desfavorecidos en términos sociales y económicos debido a su falta de representación institucional. El objetivo de este artículo es proponer un modelo de intervención capaz de aumentar el poder de participación de una minoría a través de la comunicación horizontal con otras identidades mayoritarias. Los resultados del estudio de caso del programa socioeducativo La Clase Mágica, para el que se utiliza una metodología eminentemente cuantitativa a partir de cuestionario, demuestran que estos aspectos contribuyen a que los mexicanos de primera y segunda generación en el sur de California desarrollen capacidades clave para el empoderamiento y la inclusión social. Además, el programa impactó en un factor determinante para que una comunidad consiga ganar poder de acción y voz suficiente para influir en las instituciones sociales: los apoyos externos.

A moving paradox: a binational view of obesity and residential mobility.

This paper takes a unique approach to the study of immigrant and native health differentials by addressing the role of internal as well as international mobility and considering the binational context in which such moves occur. The analyses take advantage of a unique dataset of urban residents in Mexico and the United States to compare Mexican origin immigrants and US-born Spanish-speaking residents in one urban setting in the United States and residents in a similar urban setting in Mexico. The binational approach allows for the test of standard indicators used to proxy acculturation (duration of residence in the United States, household language use) and measures of residential mobility among Mexican-Americans, Mexican immigrants and residents in Mexico. The results confirm a lower prevalence of obesity among Mexicans in Mexico and recent immigrants to the United States when compared to longer residents in the United States. However, for Mexican urban residents, more residential moves are associated with less obesity, while more residential mobility is associated with higher obesity in the urban sample in the United States.

Immigrant educational outcomes in new destinations: An exploration of high school attrition

This study examines how young immigrants are faring in new destinations using individual level data from the 2000 IPUMS to assess the relative roles of race/ethnicity, nativity, country of origin, and place on the likelihood of not being enrolled in high school for youth aged 15–17. I found that place plays a nuanced role in the risk of non-enrollment that varies by nativity as well as other household characteristics. While children in general have higher risks of dropping out in new destination communities relative to those in established immigrant communities, the risks to immigrant children are even greater. I found that Mexican and Guatemalan origin immigrants are particularly vulnerable, especially in places with the largest increases in the percent foreign born. The implications of these findings for both immigrants and their communities are discussed in the conclusion.

Acculturation and Father Engagement with Infants Among Chineseand Mexican-Origin Immigrant Fathers

Using a sample of resident fathers (i.e., fathers who co-reside with children) in the 9-month Early Childhood Longitudinal Study—Birth Cohort (ECLSB), this study examined how acculturation is associated with father engagement with infants for Chinese and Mexican immigrant fathers. When a variety of individual and demographic characteristics were controlled for, results from Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) models indicate that U.S. citizenship is negatively associated with warmth for Chinese fathers and that English language use is positively associated with physical care and nurturing activities for Mexican fathers. Findings suggest that some dimensions of acculturation shape parenting across different groups and are a predictor of resident men’s involvement with their young children.

Policies and Laws Affecting Mexican-Origin Immigrant Access and Utilization of Substance Abuse Treatment: Obstacles to Recovery and Immigrant Health

This article reports the results of a study carried out with 30 Mexican-origin immigrants in drug user treatment in the United States-Mexico Border city of El Paso, Texas during 2007. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews were implemented to assess the dynamic social and economic factors that affect the delivery and utilization of treatment services, with emphasis on the impact of recent immigration-related laws and policies. The research provides initial data for evidence-based intervention and reinforces the need for culturally and gender appropriate treatment services for poor immigrants and their families. The study's limitations are noted.

The Impact of Immigration on Psychiatric Hospitalization in Illinois From 1993 to 2003

Illinois public hospitalizations over a ten-year period were studied to determine the impact of recent immigration. The study also explored clinical and demographic differences between immigrant groups and native-born Americans. Information was collected from the state hospital Clinical Information System for 1993, 1998, and 2003. Variables included age, sex, race, marital status, education, diagnosis, length of stay, birthplace, citizenship, primary language, English proficiency, and availability of a Social Security number. Logistic multiple regression was used to analyze trends in the proportion of psychiatric admissions of foreign-born patients, with foreign born as the dependent variable and year as the independent variable. Chi square analysis was used for trends across time. In the hospitalized population, the proportion of immigrants was 7.3% in 1993, 10.9% in 1998, and 13.1% in 2003. With covariates adjusted for, the average increase of 8.0% per year in the odds of being foreign born was statistically significant (odds ratio=1.08, 95% confidence interval=1.06-1.10). Nevertheless, the proportion of foreign-born hospital admissions, including Asian and Mexican immigrants, was below their population ratio in Illinois. Mexican-origin immigrants constituted the largest group of admissions and were younger, less educated, had poorer English skills, and were more likely to be undocumented than other immigrants. The percentage of foreign-born patients admitted was lower than their percentage in the overall population. In previous immigration waves, immigrants were hospitalized at disproportionately higher rates than nonimmigrants. The gap is slowly narrowing as new admissions are increasingly likely to be foreign born, suggesting that public psychiatric hospitals should prepare for these changing populations.

The Impact of Immigration on Psychiatric Hospitalization in Illinois From 1993 to 2003

Illinois public hospitalizations over a ten-year period were studied to determine the impact of recent immigration. The study also explored clinical and demographic differences between immigrant groups and native-born Americans.Information was collected from the state hospital Clinical Information System for 1993, 1998, and 2003. Variables included age, sex, race, marital status, education, diagnosis, length of stay, birthplace, citizenship, primary language, English proficiency, and availability of a Social Security number. Logistic multiple regression was used to analyze trends in the proportion of psychiatric admissions of foreign-born patients, with foreign born as the dependent variable and year as the independent variable. Chi square analysis was used for trends across time.In the hospitalized population, the proportion of immigrants was 7.3% in 1993, 10.9% in 1998, and 13.1% in 2003. With covariates adjusted for, the average increase of 8.0% per year in the odds of being foreign born was statistically significant (odds ratio=1.08, 95% confidence interval=1.06-1.10). Nevertheless, the proportion of foreign-born hospital admissions, including Asian and Mexican immigrants, was below their population ratio in Illinois. Mexican-origin immigrants constituted the largest group of admissions and were younger, less educated, had poorer English skills, and were more likely to be undocumented than other immigrants.The percentage of foreign-born patients admitted was lower than their percentage in the overall population. In previous immigration waves, immigrants were hospitalized at disproportionately higher rates than nonimmigrants. The gap is slowly narrowing as new admissions are increasingly likely to be foreign born, suggesting that public psychiatric hospitals should prepare for these changing populations.

Immigration and living arrangements: Moving beyond economic need versus acculturation

Prior research seeking to explain variation in extended family coresidence focused heavily on the potentially competing roles of cultural preferences and socioeconomic and demographic structural constraints. We focus on challenges associated with international immigration as an additional factor driving variation across groups. Using 2000 census data from Mexico and the United States, we compare the prevalence and age patterns of various types of extended family and non-kin living arrangements among Mexican-origin immigrants and nonimmigrants on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. Additionally, we use the Survey of Income and Program Participation to examine the stability of extended family living arrangements among Mexican-origin immigrants and natives in the United States. We find that newly arrived immigrants to the United States display unique patterns in the composition and stability of their households relative to nonimmigrants in both Mexico and the United States. Recent immigrants are more likely to reside in an extended family or non-kin household, and among those living with relatives, recent immigrants are more likely to live with extended family from a similar generation (such as siblings and cousins). Further, these households experience high levels of turnover. The results suggest that the high levels of coresidence observed among recently arrived Mexican immigrants represent a departure from "traditional" household/family structures in Mexico and are related to the challenges associated with international migration.

The Relationship between Parenting, Acculturation, and Adolescent Academics in Mexican-Origin Immigrant Families in Los Angeles

This study examines the relationship between gender, acculturation, parenting, and adolescents' academic outcomes in Mexican-origin immigrant families. Self-report survey data were collected from adolescents attending three high schools in Los Angeles. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were conducted on the 273 adolescents (M = 15.5) whose parents were both born in Mexico. Girls reported higher academic motivation and educational aspirations. Substantial support was found for the positive relationship between mothers' and fathers' behaviors (ability to help, monitoring, support) and adolescents' academic motivation. Substantial support was found for the relationship between mothers' and fathers' educational level, language spoken at home, and educational aspirations. Generation status was not related to the academic outcomes. Implications for researchers, practitioners, school personnel, and policy makers are discussed.

Devolution and the Social Welfare of Elderly Immigrants: Who Will Bear the Burden?

Growing ethnic diversity translates into rising numbers of individuals facing socioeconomic disadvantage, creating a context in which detailed examinations of public policy are critical for understanding the health care needs of immigrant populations in the United States. Although many scholars document the link between social disadvantage and increased morbidity and mortality, additional analyses are needed to identify specific public policies associated with decreased access to social goods and public services. The implications of the latest welfare bill, the Personal Responsibility and Work Reconciliation Act of 1996, on the health and social welfare of the aging Hispanic population provides a unique opportunity for such inquiry. On the basis of demographic trends and recent analyses of data from the Hispanic Established Populations for Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly, the results suggest that older, Mexican–origin immigrants are likely to become an even greater administrative responsibility of state and local governments.