Further Examining Berry's Model: The Applicability of Latent Profile Analysis to Acculturation

Determining the role of acculturative stress in predicting mental health service use among Latinx immigrants

OBJECTIVES

Acculturative stress is an important factor that affects health for Latinx immigrants in the US, with multiple studies identifying a link between depression and acculturative stress in this population. However, far fewer studies have examined the specific role and relationship of acculturative stress on mental health service use in this population. Through the lens of Yang's 2016 Model of Immigrant Health Service Use, this study aimed to examine the role of acculturative stress in predicting mental health service use in a sample of Latinx immigrants in the Southeast US.

DESIGN

We conducted a secondary data analysis from a longitudinal study of Latinx immigrant health (n = 391).

RESULTS

Our study found that while total acculturative stress was not significantly associated with mental health service use in this sample, parenting stress was a significant predictor of mental health service use in the past six months when controlling for covariates (OR: 1.043, 95% CI [1.009, 1.078]). Additionally, important Predisposing and Need for Healthcare factors were significantly associated with mental health service use, specifically: males were less likely to utilize mental health services than females (OR: 0.401, 95% CI [0.166-0.968]), English language acculturation was positively associated with mental health service use (OR: 1.953, 95% CI [1.130, 3.377]), and depression was positively associated with mental health service use (OR: 1.107, 95% CI [1.027, 1.194]).

CONCLUSION

These findings support the need for more culturally sensitive mental health services, and the need to develop strategies to engage males and less acculturated individuals in mental health services to promote health equity among Latinx immigrants.

A review of bidimensional acculturation and STI/HIV-related sexual risk behaviours among Hispanic youth

A growing body of research suggests that acculturation may play a role in the disproportionate likelihood of sexual risk behaviour and STI/HIV infection among Hispanic youth in the USA. We systematically reviewed the relationship between acculturation and STI/HIV-related sexual risk behaviour among Hispanic youth aged 13-24 by reviewing studies that have used a bidimensional acculturation approach. Electronic databases were searched with the searches limited to articles published in 1992 when the concept of bidimensional acculturation was introduced or later. Two independent researchers screened the full data set to assess eligibility. Six studies were included. Three studies used cross-sectional data, while the other three used longitudinal data. We discovered that sexual risk behaviours differed by Hispanic youth acculturation types and were moderated by gender. We found that Hispanic acculturated youth had lower odds of having multiple sex partners than US acculturated youth. However, the relationship between acculturation and condom use yielded contradictory results and we could find no report on bi-culturation and sexual behaviour. Additional research is needed to explore whether adopting both US and Hispanic-heritage cultures at the same time may reduce or increase the odds of engaging in sexual risk behaviour among Hispanic youth in the USA.

Adolescents' mutual acculturation attitudes and their association with national self-identification in three Swiss cantons

Acculturation is a mutual process, meaning that members of minority as well as majority groups acculturate and thus experience cultural and psychological changes when having intercultural contact. This study assessed mutual acculturation attitudes in the school context through a four-dimensional measurement examining attitudes toward (1) migration background students' heritage culture maintenance and their (2) dominant culture adoption, (3) majority students' intercultural knowledge acquisition, and (4) schools' intercultural contact endorsement. Acculturation attitudes are commonly analyzed through minority and majority perspectives; however, the ways in which researchers categorize group members can differ significantly from how those members self-identify. This matters particularly for adolescents because they explore group identities and belongings. So far, adolescents' mutual acculturation attitudes have not been studied in relation to national self-identification measures. The current study addressed this research gap by analyzing mutual acculturation attitudes in relation to how strongly adolescents self-identify as (1) being Swiss, (2) having a migration background, and (3) the interaction of the two. The sample consisted of 319 adolescents in public secondary schools in three German-speaking cantons in Switzerland (45% female, M_age = 13.60 years, range 12-16). Latent profile analyses resulted in three distinct mutual acculturation profiles. The first is a mutual integration profile (n = 147, 46%), where minority and majority adolescents and schools are expected to integrate. The second is a multiculturalism profile (n = 137, 43%), with slightly lower expectations in all dimensions. The third is a cultural distancing profile (n = 33, 10%), which places particularly low expectations on majority adolescents and schools. Through an analysis of variance and a multiple logistic regression, those in the cultural distancing profile were found to identify significantly stronger as not having a migration background compared to those in the mutual integration profile. Thus, students having separation expectations toward minority students and non-involvement expectations toward schools and majority students are more likely to self-identify as not having a migration background than students having mutual integration expectations.

Understanding Chinese international students’ perception of cultural conflicts in Canada: Through the case of cannabis use

The legalization of recreational cannabis consumption in Canada created a cultural conflict for international students from China, where the use of cannabis is heavily criminalized and deemed immoral. This conceptual paper theorizes this cultural conflict experienced by Chinese international students in Canada by applying three theories from macro to micro levels. Neoliberalism is first used to understand how this cultural conflict exposes collisions between the neoliberal West and the rising economic power of China as illustrated through Chinese students studying in Canada. Next, acculturation theory focuses on these students’ cultural transition and provides further insight into potential strategies for their handling of specific cultural conflicts such as cannabis use. Lastly, Cloninger’s theory of substance use is adopted to explore Chinese international students’ individual reasoning about cannabis use, particularly how they make decisions based on evaluations of various conditions. Building upon the above analyses, an integrated conceptual model is further formed to help us understand Chinese students’ potential perception of cannabis use in Canada. This conceptual framework provides an important theoretical and conceptual base for future research and practice, from which to further explore cannabis use in the context of cultural transition of different immigrant and migrant groups.

With a little help from my friends? Acculturation and mental health in Arabic-speaking refugee youth living with their families

Introduction

Refugee youth are often faced with the compounding challenges of heightened exposure to traumatic events and acculturating to a new country during a developmental period when their sense of self is still forming. This study investigated whether refugee youth’s acculturation orientation (separation, integration, marginalization, and assimilation) is associated with depressive and posttraumatic stress symptoms and aimed to identify additional indicators of acculturation that may contribute to mental health.

Methods

A total of 101 Arabic-speaking refugee youths (aged 14–20 years), who were living with their families and attending school in Germany, took part in the study. They answered questions concerning traumatic exposure and posttraumatic stress symptoms, depressive symptoms, and several indicators of acculturation, including cultural orientation, positive and negative intra- and intergroup contact, language skills and friendship networks. All participants were categorized into one of four acculturation orientations using median splits.

Results

Kruskal–Wallis rank sum tests revealed that acculturation orientation was not significantly associated with depressive symptoms [χ2 (3, 97) = 0.519, p = 0.915] or posttraumatic stress symptoms [χ2 (3, 97) = 0.263, p = 0.967]. Regression analysis revealed that German language skills were significantly associated with lower scores of depressive symptoms (p = 0.016) and number of friends in Germany was significantly associated with lower scores of depressive (p = 0.006) and posttraumatic stress symptoms (p = 0.002), respectively.

Discussion

Policies that provide refugee youth with access to language classes and social activities with peers do not only enable them to actively participate in a new society but may also have a positive effect on their mental health.

The Relationship Between Latinxs' Acculturative Experiences and Mental and Behavioral Disorder in the National Latino and Asian American Study

Mental and behavioral disorders are among the leading contributors to disability among US-residing Latinxs. When treated as a homogeneous group, important disparities in the prevalence of such disorders among Latinx subgroups (e.g., by ethnic heritage) are obscured. However, Latinxs may also be characterized by their acculturative experiences while living in the USA, such as discrimination, neighborhood context and family conflict. Latent Profile Analysis with distal outcomes was used to estimate differences in psychiatric disorder prevalence across acculturative subgroups. Data from 2,541 Latinx participants (age 18 +) in the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS) were used to estimate differences in the proportion of three categories of DSM-IV disorder: depressive, anxiety and substance use by four latent subgroups of Latinxs based on their acculturative experiences. Latinxs reporting more positive acculturative experiences had the lowest prevalence of all three disorders (14.8%, 13.6% and 7.1%, respectively). Those whose lives were characterized by high levels of family conflict and discrimination combined with low levels of social cohesion and neighborhood safety had the highest disorder prevalence (34.0%, 26.6% and 22.5%; all p < 0.01 compared to positive experiences subgroup). Latinxs with moderate levels of discrimination and conflict, along with those with high conflict and cohesion, were better off as compared to those with high negative experiences and low cohesion. These latent subgroups of Latinxs according to their acculturative experiences hold important implications for identifying high-risk groups for developing a psychiatric disorder. Findings also point to the protective role of family and neighborhood cohesion when facing high levels of adversity, which may inform prevention and intervention efforts.

The Scale of Ethnic Experience long and short forms in Spanish and English: Psychometric findings from the HCHS/SOL Sociocultural Ancillary Study

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the psychometric properties and cross-group equivalence of scores from Spanish and English long and short forms of the Scale of Ethnic Experience (SEE; Malcarne et al., 2006) in a multisite representative cohort from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) Sociocultural Ancillary Study.

METHOD

Hispanic/Latino adults (N = 5,313) completed a battery of measures, including the original 32-item SEE, in their preferred language of Spanish or English. A 12-item version of the SEE, comprised of three items representing each of the four original subscales, was created and evaluated for invariance across language and self-identified heritage (Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central American, Dominican, and South American). Internal consistency reliability and convergent/discriminant validity of the subscales were also evaluated.

RESULTS

Results of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) did not support the four-subscale structure of the original 32-item SEE (Ethnic Identity, Perceived Discrimination, Social Affiliation, and Mainstream Comfort). Multigroup CFA supported the structural invariance of the SEE-Short Form across language and heritage groups. Patterns for convergent and discriminant validity were generally within expected effect sizes and directions, and consistent across language and heritage.

CONCLUSIONS

Psychometric findings support the utility of the newly developed 12-item short form of the SEE for measuring multiple dimensions of ethnic experience in Hispanic/Latino adults in the United States. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Learning to Succeed? Interplay between Ethnic Identity, National Identity, and Students’ Perception on Social Mobility in a Xinjiang Class School of China

While studies on students’ ethnic identity, national identity and social mobility gained relatively good research development in Western societies, little attention has been given to other social contexts, particularly non-Western societies like China. A questionnaire (N = 570, aged 14 to 20) was conducted in a Xinjiang Class school in Southern China to examine the nexus of students’ ethnic identity, national identity and perception on social mobility. The Xinjiang Class is currently one of the most iconic preferential educational policies recruiting students from ethnic groups in Xinjiang (an ethnic minority-concentrated border region) and offering them senior secondary education in select Han-centric, senior-secondary schools in China’s central and east coast provinces. The results demonstrate that the strengthening effect of students’ ethnic identity on national identity is not obvious; students’ strong national identity contributes to their positive perception on upward social mobility. However, the widely accepted viewpoint that students’ ethnic identity has a negative influence on perception of social mobility cannot be fully supported in this case. This study enriches the extant literature by providing a combined model to explore the nuanced mechanisms between ethnic identity, national identity and students’ perception on social mobility in a multi-ethnic society and by helping to unveil the identity politics unfolded in current China’s educational sector.

Minority and Majority Adolescents' Attitudes toward Mutual Acculturation and its Association with Psychological Adjustment

Although acculturation is considered a mutual process, no measure assesses attitudes toward mutual acculturation. Through a novel four-dimensional measurement, this study addresses this research gap by assessing attitudes toward minority and majority acculturation and its relation to psychological adjustment for immigrant-background minority and non-immigrant majority adolescents in public secondary schools in three European countries: in Germany (n = 346, 46% female, M_age = 12.78 years, range 11-16), Greece (n = 439, 56% female, M_age = 12.29 years, range 11-20), and Switzerland (n = 375, 47% female, M_age = 12.67 years, range 11-15). Latent profile analyses led to three distinct acculturation profiles in all three countries: strong and mild mutual integration profiles, where both migrant and majority students are expected to integrate, and a third profile assuming lower responsibility upon the majority. Additionally, those in the strong- and mild-integration profiles reported stronger psychological adjustment than those assuming lower responsibility upon the majority, which held for all students in Switzerland and mostly for those without a migration background in Germany. The findings demonstrate the importance of a mutual acculturation framework for future research. Moreover, as most adolescents fit in with one of the mutual integration patterns, findings stress that no matter their migration background, adolescents favor mutual integration including the expectation on schools to enhance intercultural contact.

Longitudinal profiles of acculturation and developmental outcomes among Mexican-origin adolescents from immigrant families

Prior studies investigating the association between acculturation and adolescent adjustment have often focused on specific acculturation domains rather than examining these domains collectively in a profile typology. Here, we investigate stability and change patterns in Mexican American adolescent acculturation profiles over time, using a two-wave longitudinal dataset spanning 5 years. Using latent profile analysis, three adolescent acculturation profiles were identified at Waves 1 and 2: integrated; moderately integrated; and moderately assimilated. Using latent transition analysis, four acculturation transition profiles were identified across time: stable integrated; stable moderately integrated; progressive; and regressive. Over half of all adolescents were identified as belonging to the stable integrated and stable moderately integrated transition profiles. Adolescents classified in the stable integrated profile reported the highest levels of adjustment (academic competence and socioemotional well-being) relative to those with other transition profiles. Findings from this study contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic process of acculturation among Mexican American adolescents, and provide useful insights to inform interventions and policies aimed at improving Mexican-origin adolescents' adaption to US culture while maintaining their heritage Mexican culture.

Transition in Older Parent-Adult Child Relations in U.S. Chinese Immigrant Families

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The family fundamentally underpins the immigration and acculturation processes. But most existing research on acculturation focuses on individual instead of family experience. Guided by Berry's acculturation theory and Intergenerational Solidarity Theory, this study examined continuity and changes in parent-adult child relations of older Chinese immigrants over a 2-year period, and their implications for older adults' depression and quality of life (QoL).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Participants included 2,605 older Chinese immigrants from the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago (PINE). Latent Transition Analysis (LTA) was used to identify transitions in multidimensional parent-child relations over time. Negative binomial and logistic regressions were used to examine the influence of family transitions on depression and QoL, respectively.

RESULTS

LTA revealed five types of family relations: traditional, modified traditional, coresiding-unobligated, independent, and detached. Over 40% of the respondents shifted to a different relation type, with more families classified as modified traditional or independent over time. Transitioning into modified traditional relations or out of detached relations was associated with fewer depressive symptoms and better QoL at the follow-up. Transitioning into independent relation was associated with more depressive symptoms over time.

DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS

Parent-child relations among Chinese older immigrants demonstrate significant complexity, including both heterogeneity and fluidity. Better well-being of these older adults seems to stem from the optimal combination of retaining the supportive heritage culture and embracing the host society's instrumental cultural elements. Services to this population need to include the family context in assessment and interventions.

Heterogeneity of Latina/os' acculturative experiences in the National Latino and Asian American Study: a latent profile analysis

PURPOSE

This study characterized unobserved subgroups of acculturative experiences among a nationally representative sample of U.S.-residing Latina/os (n = 2541) from the National Latino and Asian American Study.

METHODS

Latent profile analysis was used to characterize the sample by acculturative experiences using nine-factor score indicators regarding discrimination, neighborhood context, family environment, acculturation (language use and preference), and enculturation (ethnic identity). Predictors of profile membership are also examined, including sociodemographics, Latina/o heritage (i.e., ethnic group), generational status, and two acculturative stress domains (legal and interpersonal).

RESULTS

Four Latina/o subgroups were identified based on acculturative experiences. Profiles were differentiated by family context, neighborhood context, and discrimination: (1) positive experiences (n = 1,743, 69%), (2) cohesive conflict (n = 424, 17%), (3) marginalized conflict (n = 237, 9%), and (4) marginalized (n = 137, 5%). Generational status, heritage, and marital status were the salient predictors of profile membership. Among the foreign-born sample (n = 1617), legal acculturative stress also predicted profile membership.

CONCLUSIONS

Latina/os have heterogeneous experiences living in the United States. Discrimination, family context, and neighborhood environment are more related to varying experiences as opposed to traditional measures of acculturation and enculturation. Future research should characterize Latina/o heterogeneity using these experiences rather than strictly by observed demographics, such as heritage or generational status.

Health risk behaviors, musculoskeletal disorders and associated cultural adaptation, depression: a survey among Myanmar migrant workers in Chiangmai, Northern Thailand

Background and purpose

When migrants go to a new country to work, they experience transition of epidemiological risk factors, a new system of access to healthcare and changing life styles. Their comprehension of health risk factors will depend on acculturation pattern. Moreover, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are significantly prevalent in such a population due to the manual work in their jobs. Myanmar immigrant’s acculturation level has not yet been studied in relation to prevalent diseases. This study aimed to investigate health risk behaviors, the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders, and associated factors.

Methods

A cross-sectional study surveyed 414 Myanmar migrant workers in Chiangmai, Thailand. Face-to-face interviews administered structured questionnaires which comprised the transculturally validated East Asian Acculturation Measure scale, Standardized Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaires, Patient Health Questionnaires 2 and 9 for depression and questionnaires to screen health behaviors and jobs. Data analysis applied binary logistic regression.

Results

About 26.3% were current smokers and 40.8% current drinkers. Of the 75.8% of participants did not exercise, 40.1% were overweight and obese, 44.7% had prehypertension, 27.1% hypertension, and 13% had depression. The prevalence of MSDs at any site over the previous 12 months was 53.4% and it was significantly associated (P-value≤0.05) with female (adjusted odd ratio (aOR)=1.75; 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.04–2.94), depression (aOR=2.19;CI=1.10–4.39), marginalization pattern of acculturation (aOR=1.87;CI=1.09–3.21) and MSDs at any site last week (aOR=8.41;CI=4.09–17.30).

Conclusion

Health behaviors in this young, working migrant population are risky, and MSDs are common problems for migrant workers in northern Thailand. Findings of the current study highlighted health behaviors and cultural adaption as attributes to chronic, disabling, and common health problems of migrant workers. Public health interventions and recommendations considering this evidence may improve migrants’ health status, leading to better quality-of-life and productivity.

Transnational Pacific Islanders: Implications for Social Work

The Pacific Islander American racial group is smaller in terms of numbers relative to other racial groups and yet one of the fastest-growing in the United States. The complexity of their lives exceeds the implications of such small numbers, yet it reflects the contribution of their transnational ties and relationships in the Pacific and increasing multiple cultural identities as Pacific Islander Americans. Although this identity provides potential opportunities, challenges and struggles in navigating dual cultures and systems is a reality. Thus, commitment to culturally relevant social work practice with transnational Pacific Islander Americans is imperative. Social work practices that acknowledge and integrate indigenous ways of knowing and doing with consideration to the duality of their transnational identities will produce better outcomes. Emphasis on Pacific Islander cultural strengths is fundamental to generating positive health and mental health outcomes as these strengths have sustained Pacific Islanders through experiences of colonization, immigration, and historical trauma. This article discusses the multiple dimensions of the transnational experiences of Pacific Islander Americans and the implications for culturally relevant social work practice, policy, and research.

Explicating Acculturation Strategies among Asian American Youth: Subtypes and Correlates across Filipino and Korean Americans

Acculturation strategy, a varying combination of heritage and mainstream cultural orientations and one of the significant determinants of youth development, has been understudied with Asian American youth and particularly at a subgroup-specific level. This study used person-oriented latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify acculturation strategy subtypes among Filipino American and Korean American adolescents living in the Midwest. Associations between the subtypes and numerous correlates including demographics, family process and youth outcomes were also examined. Using large scale survey data (N = 1580; 379 Filipino American youth and 377 parents, and 410 Korean American youth and 414 parents; M_AGE of youth = 15.01), the study found three acculturation subtypes for Filipino American youth: High Assimilation with Ethnic Identity, Integrated Bicultural with Strongest Ethnic Identity, and Modest Bicultural with Strong Ethnic Identity; and three acculturation subtypes for Korean American youth: Separation, Integrated Bicultural, and Modest Bicultural with Strong Ethnic Identity. Both Filipino American and Korean American youth exhibited immersion in the host culture while retaining a strong heritage identity. Although bicultural strategies appear most favorable, the results varied by gender and ethnicity, e.g., integrated bicultural Filipino Americans, comprised of more girls, might do well at school but were at risk of poor mental health. Korean American separation, comprised of more boys, demonstrated a small but significant risk in family process and substance use behaviors that merits in-depth examination. The findings deepen the understanding of heterogeneous acculturation strategies among Asian American youth and provide implications for future research.

Acculturation, Mental Health, and Quality of Life among Hispanic Childhood Cancer Survivors: A Latent Class Analysis

Objective

Acculturation appears to be an important aspect of the association between ethnicity and disease, but it has not been explored in depth among childhood cancer survivors (CCS). The purpose of our study was to identify distinct acculturative profiles among Hispanic CCS and to assess differences in quality of life and depressive symptoms.

Design

Latent class analysis was used to identify distinct acculturative profiles using 9 indicator items reflecting Hispanic and Anglo cultural orientation. Multinomial logistic regression was performed to explore differences in depressive symptoms and quality of life between acculturation classes.

Setting and Participants

Participants were diagnosed in Los Angeles County, California, USA between 2000-2007 and were recruited for the study in 2009.

Main Outcome Measures

Center for Epidemiologic Studies depression scale and the PedsQL 4.0 quality of life scale.

Results

Three distinct acculturation classes emerged. All classes displayed a high probability of endorsing all Anglo orientation items. One class additionally demonstrated a high probability of endorsing all Hispanic orientation items and was labeled bicultural 40%); another demonstrated low probability of endorsing the Hispanic items so was labeled assimilated (32%); and the last demonstrated a high probability of endorsing only the Hispanic items related to language use and was labeled linguistically Hispanic/culturally Anglo (LH) (28%).

Conclusions

The assimilated group had significantly more depressive symptoms and lower quality of life than the other two groups. This may indicate that loss of the Hispanic culture may be associated with poorer psychosocial health among CCS.