Ethnic discrimination and weight outcomes among Latinx emerging adults: Examinations of an individual-level mediator and cultural moderators.

Abstract

Objectives: Latinxs have the highest prevalence of obesity in the United States, which can further contribute to the pervasive disparities in morbidity and mortality. Although the experience of discrimination is associated with obesity in racial/ethnic minorities, mediators and moderators of this association, specifically among Latinx emerging adults, have been understudied. The present study investigated an individual-level mediator (eating disorder symptoms) and cultural moderators (familismo support, ethnic identity affirmation) of the association between perceived discrimination and body mass index (BMI) among Latinx emerging adults. Method: Secondary analysis was conducted using cross-sectional data obtained from 198 Latinx emerging adults (70% female, Mage = 20.59, SDage = 1.78). Results: Participants who reported greater, as opposed to fewer, experiences of ethnic discrimination were likely to report more eating disorder symptoms, which in turn was associated with increased BMI. There was no evidence supporting familismo support or ethnic identity affirmation as moderators, suggesting that even those with high levels of familismo or ethnic identity were susceptible to the negative consequences of the experience of ethnic discrimination. Conclusions: Addressing health-compromising eating behaviors and attitudes among Latinx emerging adults might be one effective means to addressing the negative consequences of discrimination on weight-related outcomes.

Psychological Impact, Strengths, and Handling the Uncertainty Among Latinx DACA Recipients

“…Researchers have found significant effects of discrimination on mental and physical health problems (Bjorklund, 2018; Cariello et al, 2020; Hagiwara et al, 2020; Potochnick & Perreira, 2010), including stress, anxiety, depression, paranoia, and psychoticism (Bjorklund, 2018; Finch et al, 2001; Potochnick & Perreira, 2010). For example, Cadenas and Nienhusser (2020), using data from Healthy Minds, found that a stastically significant amount of immigrant young adults with abject immigration status experienced more discrimination and worse psychosocial well-being than other young adults.…”

Perceived racial discrimination and eating habits: Systematic review and conceptual models

“…Of the 19 studies, 8 scored between 30-60% 8,13,14,25,26,29,30,35 ; 8 presented 70-80% 4,28,[32][33][34][36][37][38] and only 3 scored above 85% 24,27,31 (Table 2). The average percentage was 66%.…”

“…Table 3 presents characteristics related to the exposure and outcomes of the studies included in this review. Among the studies that used validated instruments to measure PRD 4,8,[32][33][34][35][36][37][38]13,14,[25][26][27][29][30][31] , 26% used The Schedule of Racist Events 25,26,30,33,35 and 21% used Everyday Discrimination Scale (EDS) 27,34,36,38 . The others (42%) used a variety of validated scales 4,8,13,14,29,31,32,36 .…”

“…Regarding the time frame, 42% of the studies focused on PRD experienced in the past year 8,[26][27][28][29]34,36,38 . Other studies (32%) used lifetime discrimination only 13,14,24,32,33,37 . Only 2 studies combined past year and lifetime discrimination 4,25 .…”

“…The majority of the studies (n=10) investigated eating behaviors 4,14,38,27,[29][30][31]33,[35][36][37] .…”