Cultural Phenomena and the Syndemic Factor: Substance Abuse, Violence, Hiv, and Depression Among Hispanic Women

Abstract

Researchers exploring the health of Hispanics in South Florida utilizing a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods have identified that substance abuse, violence, risky sexual behavior, and depression are not only conceptualized as tightly interrelated health and social problems, but also hold together in a measurement model to represent an underlying phenomenon (i.e., the Syndemic Factor). The purpose of this study is to test hypothesized relationships between cultural phenomena and the Syndemic Factor among community-dwelling Hispanic women. Standardized questionnaires assessing Acculturation, Hispanic Stress, Familism, and the Syndemic Factor were administered to a cross-sectional sample of 548 Hispanic women from South Florida. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze relationships. The model explained 61 percent of the variance in the Syndemic Factor. There was a large positive relationship between the Syndemic Factor and Hispanic Stress, and a small inverse relationship between the Syndemic Factor and Familism. Women with high Hispanic Acculturation and low U.S. Acculturation scored lower on the Syndemic Factor than Integrated/Bicultural women. Familism buffered the relationship between Hispanic Stress and the Syndemic Factor. Structural, community, family, and individual prevention strategies that address underlying conditions associated with the Syndemic Factor must be developed and formally evaluated.

The Influence of Relationship Power and Partner Communication on the Syndemic Factor among Hispanic Women

“…Education and acculturation were related to the syndemic factor among Hispanic women, supporting previous syndemic theory research identifying the important role that socioeconomic and cultural factors play in influencing syndemic risks (Gonzalez-Guarda et al, 2011; Gonzalez-Guarda et al, 2012; Koblin et al, 2015 (Koblin et al, 2015). However, unlike previous research which has documented the protective effects that maintaining Hispanic culture (Hispanicism) has on the syndemic factor (Gonzalez-Guarda et al, 2012), both Hispanicism and Americanism were positively related to the syndemic factor.…”

“…Risk factors included socioeconomic disadvantage, the percent of their lifetime they had lived in the U.S., and acculturation as risk factors. Conversely, family support and the maintenance of Hispanic practices such as the reliance of Spanish in communications with family and friends were identified as being protective (Gonzalez-Guarda, McCabe, Vermeesch, Cianelli & Peragallo, 2012). …”

Longitudinal Predictors of Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration and Victimization in Latino Emerging Adults

“…It is important to note that traditional gender role attitudes are not exclusively associated with Latino culture; studies of violence conducted with predominantly White or Caucasian samples have shown similar results (Anderson et al 2004;Santana et al 2006;Silverman and Williamson 1997). These findings support evidence that cultural factors among Latinos, specifically acculturation (Caetano et al 2004;Gonzalez-Guarda et al 2012) as reflected in greater orientation to U.S. values and traditional gender role attitudes (Falconier 2013;Reed et al 2011;Santana et al 2006), can be risk factors for intimate partner violence. However, much of what is known about the influence of these cultural factors on intimate partner violence has been derived from adult Latino samples.…”

“…Acculturation and traditional gender role attitudes are cultural variables that have been associated with greater risk of intimate partner violence among Latino 1 youth (Dardis et al 2015;Sabina et al 2016;Vagi et al 2013). However, intimate partner violence research on Latinos has drawn primarily from college-based (Coker et al 2008;Ramirez 2007) or adult (Caetano et al 2004;Cunradi 2009;Gonzalez-Guarda et al 2012) samples, lacked the inclusion of both victimization and perpetration outcomes, or been limited by cross-sectional studies (Ferguson 2011;Garcia et al 2005).…”

Stress and Multiple Substance Use Behaviors Among Hispanic Adolescents

“…These findings are important in the context of racial and ethnic disparities in health because minorities often report more exposure to chronic and acute stress than do non-Hispanic Whites (Jackson et al 2010). Among Hispanics, experiences of stress may be related to identification or perceived identification with a socially marginalized group (González-Guarda et al 2012). Cervantes et al (2012) identified eight domains of stress among Hispanic adolescents that broadly describe cultural-related stressors, such as acculturative gap stress, immigration stress, and discrimination, and social stressors, such as negative experiences in the educational system, economic hardship, substance use, and community and gang violence (Cervantes et al 2012; Morales et al 2002).…”