Discrimination, Racial/Ethnic Identity, and Substance Use Among Latina/os: Are They Gendered?

Abstract

Background Prior research suggests that stronger racial/ethnic identification offsets negative effects of discrimination on substance use. Yet research in this area and on whether gender modifies this association is limited for Latina/os. Purpose The purpose of the present study is to examine whether different sources of discrimination (everyday and racial/ethnic) are associated with substance use (alcohol use disorder, smoking), if racial/ethnic identity buffers this association, and the potential moderating role of gender among these variables. Methods We present cross-sectional, US population-based data from the Latina/o adult sample (1427 females and 1127 males) of the National Latino and Asian American Study. Respondents completed self-reported measures of everyday and racial/ethnic discrimination, racial/ethnic identity, smoking status, and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV) lifetime alcohol use disorder. Results Weighted logistic regression analyses showed that before inclusion of three-way interactions and adjusting for covariates, everyday discrimination predicted increased risk for any DSM-IV lifetime alcohol use disorders. Moderation analyses revealed that the effect of everyday discrimination on the risk of being a current smoker was strongest for Latino men with high levels of racial/ethnic identity compared to those with low racial/ethnic identity. No differences were noted among Latino women. There were no main or interaction effects of racial/ethnic discrimination for any substance use outcome. Conclusions Findings suggest differential associations for type of discrimination and outcome and that the role of racial/ethnic identity is gender-specific for smoking, appearing particularly detrimental for Latino men reporting high levels of racial/ethnic identity.

Coping With Racism: Moderators of the Discrimination–Adjustment Link Among Mexican‐Origin Adolescents

“…For example, some research among Latino adolescents and adults shows that a strong ethnic identity buffers against the negative impact of discrimination on mental health (Torres, Yznaga, & Moore, 2011;Umaña-Taylor, Tynes, Toomey, Williams, & Mitchell, 2015;Umaña-Taylor, Wong, Gonzales, & Dumka, 2012). On the other hand, some research on Latino adolescents and adults shows that a strong ethnic identity may exacerbate the negative impact of discrimination on adjustment because individuals who are exploring their identity (e.g., Cheng, Hitter, Adams, & Williams, 2016;Torres & Ong, 2010;Torres et al, 2011) or those with a strong commitment to their ethnic group (e.g., Molina, Jackson, & Rivera-Olmedo, 2016;Umaña-Taylor et al, 2015) may be more sensitive to mistreatment or attacks based on their ethnic group membership.…”

Perceived Racial/Ethnic Discrimination and Mental Health: a Review and Future Directions for Social Epidemiology

“…Some utilized a continuous score based on the sum of all nine responses [9–13], others dichotomized the variable into never and ever discrimination [14], and others averaged the scores of all the items [15–18]. Further, some studies asked participants to specify what they felt was the primary reason for the unfair treatment [11,13,14,18–20], while others did not appear to ask for such specification and examined perceived discrimination in general [9,10,12]. …”

“…Other studies demonstrate that minority youth exposed to discrimination were more likely to engage in nonphysical aggression, aggressive or retaliatory behavior, and drug use [57,58]. Among ethnic minority adults (e.g., Latinos), discrimination has been associated with being a current smoker, substance abuse (e.g., marijuana), and risky sexual behavior [10,11,59–61]. Specifically, Filipino Americans were found to have a two-fold increased probability of alcohol dependence for every one-unit increase in reported unfair treatment due to their ethnicity, speaking a different language, or having an accent [60].…”

“…Although ethnic identity predicted higher self-esteem, the moderating effect of ethnic identity on perceived discrimination and depressive symptoms among Jewish Americans indicated that greater ethnic identity was associated greater depression scores in the face of discrimination [66]. Additionally, among Latino men, being a current smoker was more likely for those who had high levels of racial or ethnic identity and experienced everyday discrimination [11]. …”

Associations of Immigration Transition to Cardiovascular Symptoms Experienced in Menopausal Transition

“…Immigration status, the length of stay in the U.S., and the level of acculturation might not be sensitive enough to reflect the women’s immigration transition in various aspects of their life that could influence their cardiovascular health. Self-reported racial/ethnic identity is frequently connected to women’s inner feelings toward their own selves, which could be directly associated with discriminative experience 30 that could cause unnecessary stress, subsequently influencing cardiovascular health.…”