Uncovering Historical Legacies to Contextualize Health Inequities in Puerto Rican Men: An Expansion of the Minority Stress Model

Negative emotional reactivity to minority stress: measure development and testing

The purpose of the present investigation was to develop and test a measure of negative emotional reactivity to racial/ethnic minoritized stress. In Study 1, we developed item content for a measure of negative emotional reactivity to racial/ethnic minoritized stress. We then evaluated item performance and produced a refined 15-item scale among a large sample of racial/ethnic minority adults (N = 1,343). Results supported a unidimensional construct and high levels of internal consistency. The factor structure and internal consistency were replicated and extended to a sample of Latinx persons who smoke (N = 338) in Study 2. There was evidence of convergent validity of the Emotional Reactivity to Minoritized Stress (ERMS) total score in terms of theoretically consistent and statistically significant relations with indices of mental health problems, social determinants of health, and substance use processes. There was also evidence that the ERMS demonstrated divergent validity in that it was negatively associated with psychological well-being, health literacy, subjective social status in Study 1, and positive abstinence expectancies in Study 2. Overall, the present study establishes the reliability and validity of measuring individual differences in negative emotional reactivity to racial/ethnic minority stress with the ERMS and that such responsivity is associated with behavioral health problems.

Social connectedness and surviving at the margins: Findings from interviews with low-income Latino men in the U.S. Northeast

OBJECTIVES

Structural and interpersonal discrimination can lead to social exclusion and limited social integration, inhibiting the use of support networks to gain access to health-protective material and social resources. Social support theories suggest that connectedness may moderate the link between discrimination and health risk. This study examined how risk factors (i.e., structural and interpersonal discrimination) further marginalize Puerto Rican men by limiting access to social support. We also aimed to identify resiliency factors, such as cultural values related to social interactions and community support, which may be protective for these men's well-being.

METHOD

We conducted 40 semistructured interviews with a stratified purposeful sample of Puerto Rican (92.5%) men aged 25-70 (Mage = 50.7) in the U.S. Northeast. A hybrid deductive and inductive thematic qualitative analysis was used to analyze data.

RESULTS

Participants discussed how structural and interpersonal discrimination result in inequities and barriers to resources and services (e.g., lack of adequate shelter, insecurity, employment) which impacted their well-being through the inability to access fundamental support for survival. The men identified cultural values (e.g., familismo, simpatía) and emphasized the importance of community support as protective factors that may provide a respite from the difficulties of navigating discrimination experiences.

CONCLUSION

Findings suggest discrimination limits Puerto Rican men's ability to access resources, which has a detrimental impact on their well-being. Identifying social support beyond the family, and considering cultural values related to support, can enhance community interventions by focusing on incorporating multiple forms of support that may improve Puerto Rican men's health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).