Poster #86 - Stress and Health: The Moderating Role of Cultural Pride in Midwestern Latino Youth

• In Event: Poster Session 13

Abstract

Introduction. Previous research has linked stress to negative health outcomes, such as depression (Snyder et al., 2019), lower self-esteem (Srivastava & Kiran, 2015), and increased obesity risk (Bose et al., 2009; Lambert et al., 2010). One form of stress is acculturative stress. An example might include children whose parents are born in another country and move to the U.S. These children may face parental pressure to maintain the traditional culture and language from their country of origin, while simultaneously facing pressure from peers to adapt and accept the language and cultural norms of their new community. This acculturative stress has been linked with negative health outcomes as well (Kapke et al., 2018; Perreira et al., 2019; Salas-Wright et al., 2015).
In contrast, culture can also serve as a protective factor. Perreira et al. (2019) found that ethnic identity can protect adolescents against mental health challenges even when experiencing acculturative stress. Additional studies found that ethnic pride and cultural values may act as moderators to decrease the impact of stress on health (Corona et al., 2017; Cruz et al., 2021). However, little attention has been given to the influences of stress and culture on health outcomes in Latinx youth, particularly those living in Midwestern U.S. To address this gap, the current study examined the associations between several types of stress and health outcomes in Midwestern Latinx youth. Then we assessed the potential moderating effect of Latinx cultural pride (LCP).
Participants. Participants included 119 Latino 5th and 6th grade children (Mean age = 11.53 years; 59% female; mean family income $27,500; 85.6% two-parent homes). The majority of the children (96%) were born in the U.S., and the majority of the parents were born outside the U.S. (91%, mostly in Mexico).
Measures. Children and parents completed surveys (in English or Spanish) that included: LCP, self-esteem, depression, stressful events (MESA), and parent/home stressors. Saliva samples were self-collected for two consecutive days (wake up, 30 minutes after wake up, and evening) and salivary cortisol awakening responses (sCAR) were calculated. BMI percentile (BMI%) was calculated using height and weight measurements from two trained researchers, following standard Centers for Disease Control (CDC) protocols.
Results. Stress variables were generally related to self-esteem and depression, but not directly to BMI% (see Table 1). Using regression models, and controlling for child age, gender, and family income (see Table 2), we found that LCP moderated the link between sCAR with BMI% and self-esteem, but not for depression. MESA was directly related to self-esteem and depression, but LCP did not moderate the associations. LCP moderated the link between parent-home stressors and BMI%, self-esteem, and depression. These findings support previous studies showing cultural pride can act as a buffer to protect youth from the negative health outcomes associated with various types of stress. Parents and practitioners should promote and encourage positive cultural pride as a potential way to lower the effects of stress on negative health outcomes in Latinx youth.

Authors

• Blake L. Jones, Brigham Young University
  Presenting Author

• Joshua Christensen, Brigham Young University

• Joshua Bezzant, Brigham Young University

• Matthew Kimball Grendell, Brigham Young University

• Lainey Jensen, Brigham Young University

• Kaitlyn Mumford, Brigham Young University

• Megan Overby, Brigham Young University

• Carli Peterson, Brigham Young University

• Brynn Pyper, Brigham Young University

• Keeley Russell, Brigham Young University

• Brooke Woolley, Brigham Yound University

• Zoe Ellen Taylor, Purdue University, West Lafayette