Health-Related Issues in Latina Youth: Racial/Ethnic, Gender, and Generational Status Differences

Factors associated with HPV-associated sexual risk behaviors among sexually active college students

High-risk sexual behavior is the primary risk factor for the acquisition and persistence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and the development of HPV-associated diseases including cancer. Incidence of HPV infection is high among individuals in their late teens and early 20s. Thus, college students represent a historically high-risk group for HPV infection yet are also a group with the ability to independently access HPV vaccination for HPV prevention. To inform future interventions, we examined factors associated with HPV-associated risky sexual behaviors among sexually active college students. Data (N = 741) were from an anonymous online survey distributed to students at a public Midwestern university in 2021. The outcomes were HPV-associated sexual risk behaviors-number of oral or vaginal sexual partners [high (≥ 5) or low (< 5)] and age of oral or vaginal sexual debut [early (< 18 years) or late (≥ 18 years)]. Multivariable logistic regression models estimated the association between HPV-associated risky sexual behaviors and several predictors including age, gender, relationship status, academic level, country of birth, and rural-urban status. Among sexually active students, approximately 47% and 41% had a high number of lifetime vaginal and oral partners, respectively. Among the same group, 60% and 64% had early vaginal and oral sexual debut. Students who were single and dating (aOR = 1.93; 95% CI = 1.21, 3.08) or single and not dating (2.11; 1.28, 3.48) were more likely to have a high number of vaginal lifetime partners compared with married students. Single (vs. married) students were also about twice as likely to have a high number of oral lifetime partners. Relative to graduate students, freshmen/sophomores were more likely to have an early vaginal (2.44; 1.45, 4.11) and oral (2.14; 1.26, 3.63) sexual debut. Interventions tailored to college freshmen/sophomores and unmarried students should encourage students to receive the HPV vaccine for prevention of future HPV-associated diseases.

Meta-Analysis on the Relation Between Acculturation and Alcohol Use Among Immigrant Youth

PURPOSE

We empirically examined the relation between acculturation and alcohol use in immigrant youth, with attention to demographic and methodological moderators.

METHODS

We identified 43 studies (38 empirical studies published in peer-reviewed journals and 6 dissertations) yielding 66 independent samples and 118 effect sizes. The total sample size was 61,851 immigrant youth from birth to 25 years of age (M = 937.14, standard deviation = 1,271.24) with a mean age of 15.50 years (standard deviation = 2.46).

RESULTS

The average effect size for the fixed effects model was .04 with a 95% confidence interval of .03-.05, which was significantly different from zero (p < .001). The average effect size for the random effects model was .05 with a 95% confidence interval of .02-.08, which was significantly different from zero (p = .002). Location of the study, age of participants, type of measurements used to assess acculturation and alcohol use, and publication year were significant moderators.

CONCLUSIONS

This meta-analytic review supported the immigrant paradox in which acculturation puts immigrant youth at risk for alcohol use. Several demographic and methodological factors also moderated this relation in a significant way. Important implications are discussed.

Multigenerational immigrant trajectories and children's unequal exposure to fine particulate matter in the US

Fine particulate matter is a serious health threat and exposures are particularly damaging for children. The environmental justice (EJ) literature shows that racial/ethnic minority communities experience disproportionate exposure to particulate pollution in the US. While important, those EJ studies tend to neglect people's complex identities, including their nativity and their families' generational histories of residence in the US. Yet there is growing interest in the intersection of immigrant populations and EJ. Our use of individual-level data enables examination of immigrant generational status by race/ethnicity, which provides insights on the intergenerational persistence of environmental injustice. We pair data on 12,570 US third graders (from 2013 to 2014) collected through the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey with PM_2.5 concentrations for the census tracts of their home and school locations. We apply generalized estimating equations to test for intergenerational disparities in exposure and to examine how those disparities vary between racial/ethnic groups. Independent of race/ethnicity, first- and second-generation children have greater PM_2.5 exposure than 2.5- and third-generation children. However, generational status disparities in exposures vary based on race/ethnicity. First-generation White children face greater exposure than White children of later generational statuses, with inequalities attenuating by the second generation. In contrast, Hispanic/Latinx children experience no significant drop in exposure until the third generation. Among Asian and Black children, generational status was not a significant determinant of exposure. Results quantify the intergenerational persistence of environmental injustices for persons of color while showing the amelioration of inequalities for Whites after just one generation is born in the US, reflecting another facet of White privilege in the US.

Facilitating Change in Drinking Cognitions and Behaviors Among Three Immigrant Generations of Latinx Youth Through a School-Based Intervention: Findings From a Multi-Site Clinical Trial

Latinx youth experience disparities in the availability of and participation in evidence-based interventions to reduce hazardous alcohol use. The aim of this secondary data analysis was to examine whether Project Options, a brief, evidence-based alcohol use intervention was beneficial for Latinx participants. A total of 331 first-, second-, and third-generation immigrant Latina and Latino youth who participated in a multi-site, hybrid effectiveness/efficacy clinical trial of the intervention were selected for analyses. Mixed-effects growth models tested changes in drinking cognitions (i.e., perception of peer drinking, intention to drink next month, alcohol use and cessation expectancies) and behaviors (i.e., number of past-month drinking days, average number of drinks per occasion, and maximum number of drinks per occasion) across three time points (i.e., baseline, 4-weeks, and 12-weeks). Consistent with prior Project Options studies, participants with more drinking experience reported greater decreases in perception of peer drinking, intentions to drink next month, and all drinking behaviors than those with less experience. While no changes were observed in expectancies, first-generation participants endorsed lower positive use expectancies than second- and third-generation youth as well as more favorable cessation expectancies than third-generation teens. In concert with prior studies demonstrating the intervention's success in recruitment and retention of Latinx participants, results suggest that Project Options might be a promising school-based intervention for Latinx youth. This intervention has the potential to reach adolescents who might otherwise not participate in traditional programming and help decrease disparities in availability of evidence-based practices for Latinx youth.

Non-Suicidal Self-Injury, Neuroticism, and Ethnic Identity in Young Latina Adults

Rates of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) are elevated among Latinas; however, few studies have examined patterns of NSSI and associated risk in this population. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between neuroticism and NSSI, along with the conditional effect of ethnic identity on such an association for first-, second-, and third-generation Latina young adults. Participants were 701 emerging adult Latinas who completed measures of self-harm, personality traits, and ethnic identity. Results showed ethnic identity as moderating the association between neuroticism and self-harm in second-generation Latinas. These findings provide some insight into the cultural impact of both ethnic identity and generational status on self-harm for Latinas with high levels of neuroticism.