Proxy For Acculturation Research Articles

Assessment of the Short Acculturation Scale for Hispanics (SASH) among low-income, immigrant Hispanics.

The present analysis sought to determine the usefulness and validity of the Short Acculturation Scale for Hispanics (SASH) in assessment of acculturation among Hispanics participating in a colorectal cancer screening study. Primary data was collected from 2008 to 2009 through surveys in East Harlem community-based sites and health clinics among Hispanics. Bivariate correlations and independent samples t tests assessed SASH correlation with acculturation proxies and relationships between proxies, SASH, and sociodemographics. SASH was highly correlated with commonly used acculturation proxies; inter-scale correlations and alpha scores were high. Sociodemographics associated with proxy variables were associated with SASH. In conclusion, SASH is useful and valid for assessing acculturation among Hispanics; however, a shortened version or acculturation proxy variables could also be utilized.

Acculturation, Ethnicity, and Air Pollution Perceptions

A globalizing world increases immigration between nations, raising the question of how acculturation (or its lack) of immigrants and their descendants to host societies affects risk perceptions. A survey of Paterson, New Jersey, residents tested acculturation's associations with attitudes to air pollution and its management, and knowledge of and self-reported behaviors concerning air pollution. Linguistic and temporal proxy measures for acculturation were independent variables along with ethnicity, plus controls for gender, age, education, and income in multivariate analyses. About one-fifth of contrasts between non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, English-interviewed Hispanics, and Spanish-interviewed Hispanics were statistically significant (Bonferroni-corrected) and of medium or higher affect size, with most featuring the Spanish-interviewed Hispanics. Knowledge variables featured the most significant differences. Specifically, Spanish-interviewed Hispanics reported less concern, familiarity with pollution, recognition of high pollution, and vigorous outdoor activity, and greater belief that government overregulates pollution than English-interviewed Hispanics (and than the other two groups on most of these variables too). English-interviewed Hispanics did not differ from non-Hispanic whites, but did on several variables from non-Hispanic blacks. Temporal proxies of acculturation among the foreign-born were far less significant, but concern and familiarity with air pollution increased with time spent in the United States, while belief in overregulation and a positive trend in New Jersey pollution increased with time in the nation of origin. Implications of these acculturation and ethnicity findings for risk perception/communication research and practice are discussed.

A Comparison of Different Measures of Acculturation with Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Latinos with Hypertension

The effect of acculturation with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors is poorly understood. We assessed the association of three acculturation measures (English language, US country of birth and a combination of the two) with CVD risk factors and co-morbid medical and behavioral conditions in a registry of 6,793 Latinos with hypertension. Greater acculturation was associated with higher adherence to medication (P < 0.05) and a higher prevalence of behavioral conditions (P < 0.01) but not with differences in prevalence of CVD risk factors, greater levels of CVD risk factor control or outcomes. Our study demonstrates that our proxies for acculturation were associated with behavioral risk factors, but not with the level of control of biomedical CVD risk factors. While more work is needed to develop proxies that can predict risk factor control and CVD outcomes, our simple measures can facilitate regular assessment of the cultural component of behavioral risk.

Sexual Values and Risky Sexual Behaviors Among Latino Youths

Understanding Latino youths' sexual values is key to informing HIV prevention efforts. Few studies have examined associations between culturally based sexual values and behaviors among Latinos. A sample of 839 sexually active Latinos aged 16-22 residing in San Francisco were interviewed in 2003-2006. Multiple regression and multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between sexual values and behaviors, while adjusting for language use (a proxy for acculturation) and other covariates. The importance attached to female virginity was negatively associated with the number of sexual partners women had had in their lifetime (odds ratio, 0.8) and in the past year (0.9), and was positively associated with women's nonuse of condoms, rather than consistent use, during the first month of their current relationships (1.8). For men, the importance of satisfying sexual needs increased with the numbers of lifetime and recent sexual partners (1.4 and 1.1, respectively), and with inconsistent condom use in the first month of their relationships (1.9). Comfort with sexual communication was positively associated with inconsistent use or nonuse of condoms in the last month of both men's and women's current relationships (2.0-2.2). For women, considering satisfaction of sexual needs important was associated with more sexual partners only among those who attached little value to female virginity. It is important to integrate themes of virginity and sexual desire into intervention curricula so youth can better understand how these sexual norms influence their developing sexual identities and behaviors.

Psychotropic Medication Nonadherence Among United States Latinos: A Comprehensive Literature Review

Psychotropic Medication Nonadherence Among United States Latinos: A Comprehensive Literature Review

Neighborhood Context and Acculturation Among Central American Immigrants

Years in the US is often used as a proxy for acculturation, and level of acculturation may be an important predictor of differential health outcomes for immigrants. Some studies have examined the interaction between community level factors and acculturation, but not among Latinos. Level of acculturation and neighborhood concentration of Latinos was assessed in a sample of 194 Spanish-speaking, immigrant, pregnant Latinas. Neighborhood concentration of Latinos moderated the association between years living in the US and acculturation level. For individuals living in a high concentration of Latinos, longer time in the US was less related to higher levels of acculturation. In contrast, among Latinas living in a low concentration of other Latinos, the amount of time since immigrating to the US was strongly associated with level of acculturation. These findings have implications for health outcomes research done with immigrant groups, particularly Latinos.

Acculturation and ethnic-minority health behavior: A test of the operant model.

The Operant Model of Acculturation predicts that health behaviors that have a low prevalence (< 20%) among Traditional (low-acculturated) minorities increase in prevalence with acculturation and hence have a higher prevalence among their Acculturated counterparts. Alternatively, health behaviors that have a high prevalence (> 45%) among Traditional minorities decrease with acculturation and thereby have a lower prevalence among their acculturated cohorts. The purpose of this study was to test this model for the first time. Data on the 7,249 Mexican American adults in the 2001 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), a statewide, random-digit-dial telephone survey, were used. Two proxies for acculturation (nativity, language spoken at home) were predictors in analyses of cigarette smoking, exercise, and 5 + daily fruit/vegetable consumption. For all three health behaviors, results were fully supportive of the Operant Model irrespective of acculturation-proxy and demographic variables. The Operant Model may provide a coherent framework for predicting and understanding the role of acculturation in ethnic minority health behavior. Findings are discussed in terms of tailoring and targeting interventions in a manner consistent with the acculturation-related changes in health behavior that are likely to occur.

Reducing Language Barriers and Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Health Care: An Investment in Our Future

Reducing Language Barriers and Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Health Care: An Investment in Our Future

Rurality and Ethnicity in Adolescent Physical Illness: Are Children of the Growing Rural Latino Population at Excess Health Risk?

This study's objectives are to: investigate potential additive and multiplicative influences of rurality and race/ethnicity on chronic physical illness in a nationally representative sample of youth; and examine intra-Latino processes using a Latino sub-sample. Specifically, we examine how rurality and individual psychosocial processes reflected by acculturation proxies (generational status and use of the English language at home) link to chronic physical illness of Latino youth. Finally, we examine whether these associations and the levels of chronic illness differ across Latino subgroups. Logistic-normal (binomial) modeling analyses examine multilevel influences on physical health using longitudinal data from a nationally representative sample (N = 13,905) of white, African American, Latino, Asian, and Native American adolescents between the ages of 12 and 19 participating in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Prevalence rates of certain chronic illnesses (obesity, asthma, and high cholesterol) among Latino adolescents exceed rates for the same illnesses among white adolescents. Comparisons between rural and non-rural youth reveal a rurality disadvantage in terms of any chronic illness likelihood among Latino, Asian, and Native American youth not evident among whites or African Americans. Among Latino youth (N = 2,505), Mexican Americans show lower health risk for any chronic illness compared to other Latino groups. However, third generation Latinos and those who primarily speak English at home experience higher risk for any chronic illness than do those of first or second generation status, with amplification of the risk linked to English use at home among Latino youth living in rural areas.

Association Between Length of Residence and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Among an Ethnically Diverse Group of United States Immigrants

Although differences in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors between immigrants and nonimmigrants have been examined previously, the effect of acculturation on CVD risk factors in immigrants has been less well studied. To determine the association between length of U.S. residence (proxy for acculturation) and major CVD risk factors. Data on 5,230 immigrant adults from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) was analyzed. Primary independent variable was length of U.S. residence < 10, 10 to < 15, and > or = 15 years. Main outcome measures included obesity, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, smoking, and physical inactivity. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess the association between length of residence and odds of multiple CVD risk factors adjusting for confounders. SAS-callable SUDAAN was used for statistical analysis. Among the patients, 55.4% were obese, 17.3% had hypertension, 15.9% had hyperlipidemia, 6.6% had diabetes, 79.3% were physically inactive, and 14.3% were smokers. Using < 10 years as reference, those with length of residence > or = 15 years were more likely to be obese (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.03-1.65), have hyperlipidemia (OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.14-2.22), and be smokers (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.04-1.85). Length of residence > or = 15 years was associated with decreased odds of sedentary lifestyle (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.47-0.84). Length of residence > or = 15 years was not associated with odds of having diabetes (OR 1.40, 95% CI 0.78-2.51) or hypertension (OR 1.21, 95% CI 0.86-1.71). Among immigrants from diverse ethnic backgrounds, longer length of residence in the United States is associated with increased odds of obesity, hyperlipidemia, and cigarette smoking even after adjusting for relevant confounding factors.

Self-Reported Integration as a Proxy for Acculturation

It is essential to account for acculturation in any research conducted in multicultural populations. Both unidimensional and bidimensional approaches are used to measure the extent of acculturation; however, neither one of them is optimal. To explore the immigrants' rating of the extent of their acculturation (self-reported integration) in contrast to an external (researchers') measurement. Fifteen in-depth interviews with strategically sampled Russian-speaking men and women aged 25-70 years, with varying marital and employment status and living permanently in Stockholm, Sweden, were analyzed using a content analysis technique. The results were validated by means of a series of additional mini-interviews by telephone. The immigrants' self-reported integration corresponded with the researchers' bidimensional measurement of the extent of acculturation of these immigrants. Self-reported integration accounted for the mastering of the formal criteria of integration, resolving of grief concerning the homeland, and fulfilling the internal criteria of integration. Self-reported integration may be used as a proxy for acculturation but its application should be tested primarily in other settings and in a quantitative analysis.

Language, Income, Education, and Alcohol-Related Fatal Motor Vehicle Crashes

This paper investigates the role of race/ethnicity, language skills (a proxy for acculturation among Hispanics in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas), income, and education level on alcohol-related fatal motor vehicle crashes. Using the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), we confirmed previous state-based studies showing that high income and education levels have a protective influence on alcohol-related fatal motor vehicle crashes. We also confirmed that language proficiency/acculturation tends to increase the vulnerability of Hispanic women to alcohol-related fatalities. Differences in alcohol-related fatality rates across Hispanic subgroups are observed. Future reductions in alcohol-related traffic fatalities may require prevention policies that take into account existent variations in acculturation, income, and education among racial/ethnic groups and subgroups.

Predictors of Everyday Functioning Among Older Mexican Americans vs. Anglo-Americans With Schizophrenia

We assessed clinical, demographic, and cognitive predictors of everyday functioning in Mexican American and Anglo-American outpatients with schizophrenia. Three groups of participants aged 40 years and over with a DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were compared: 79 Anglo-Americans, 24 Mexican American patients who chose to be tested in English, and 33 Mexican American patients who preferred Spanish. The study was conducted from October 2001 to July 2004. On demographic, clinical, cognitive, and functional measures, Anglo-American participants were generally similar to Mexican American participants who opted for being tested in English. Mexican American participants who preferred Spanish were significantly different from the other 2 groups on several measures, including everyday functioning performance. To determine the predictors of everyday functioning, separate regression analyses were conducted for each of the 3 groups. Cognitive ability consistently accounted for the greatest proportion of variance in performance regardless of ethnicity, language preference, or education. Among the Mexican American participants, level of acculturation was the second strongest predictor of everyday functioning when the group was examined as a whole; however, acculturation was not a significant predictor when controlling for language preference. Cognitive performance and language preference (a proxy for acculturation) may play a particularly important role in predicting ability to perform everyday tasks. Further studies to better understand the potential impact of ethnicity, culture, education, and language on everyday functioning may help develop more specific and culture-sensitive intervention strategies for different ethnic groups.

Occupational injury among immigrants

The growth in immigrant populations demands an understandign of determinants of their health, including occupational health. The study reported here involved a survey of a non-probability non-clinical sample of immigrants. The results indicate that length of stay, a proxy for acculturation, had no relationship to injury, but working in a language other than English and professing Buddhism did; thus, lack of congruence between individual level culture and workplace culture affects rates of injury. The conclusion is that looking for individual level explanations of differences in workplace injury will do little to advance the field of occupational health promotion.

Validity of self-rated health among Latino(a)s.

The authors investigated whether self-rated health (SRH) had differential mortality risks for Latino(a) adults of various acculturation statuses living in the United States. They used cumulative National Health Interview Survey data from 1989 to 1994 (n = 37,713) linked with the National Health Interview Survey Multiple Cause of Death data files (1,364 deaths) that match records from the National Death Index through 1997. The authors specified survival models to estimate the effect of SRH on mortality and further stratified their model by birth and duration in the United States as proxies for acculturation. These estimates were compared across strata. Poor SRH was found to be a weaker predictor of subsequent mortality risk among the less acculturated, although the overall risk among the aggregated sample is similar to the risk reported in previous studies. The relation between poor SRH and mortality risk increases with United States acculturation among Latinos. While poor SRH was significantly associated with short-term mortality among the least acculturated, this association did not persist beyond 2-year mortality risk. Health researchers wishing to use SRH to assess the physical health of multiethnic populations should at least control for levels of acculturation among respondents.

Natives on the Electronic Frontier

Natives on the Electronic Frontier