Associations Between Ethnic Identity Commitment, Discrimination, and Sexism With Sexual Risk Among Latina College Students.

According to intersectionality theory, oppression predisposes individuals from disadvantaged groups to experience disparities in health. Such disparities are evident in the sexual health among college-aged Latina women living in the U.S., who tend to report significantly higher rates of sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies than their White peers. Guided by intersectionality theory, the present study examined sexual risk behaviors (i.e., inconsistent condom use, number of sexual partners) in relation to ethnic identity development and reported experiences of discrimination and sexism among 450 Latina college students (ages 18-26 years old). Notably, results indicated that Latinas who reported relatively lower levels of ethnic identity commitment had, on average, approximately five more sexual partners when they had reported greater lifetime experiences of sexism. Findings highlight how sexist experiences contributed to an increased number of partners among Latinas reporting relatively lower levels of ethnic identity commitment, demonstrating that strong ethnic identity commitment was protective against risk in accordance with past research. Results indicate a continued need for sexual health interventions with Latina college students.

Según la teoría de la interseccionalidad, la opresión predispone a los individuos de grupos desfavorecidos para experimentar las disparidades en la salud. Tales disparidades son evidentes en la salud sexual entre las mujeres Latinas de edad universitaria que viven en los Estados Unidos, que tienden a reportar tasas significativamente más altas de las infecciones de transmisión sexual y los embarazos no deseados en comparación con sus compañeras Blancas. Guiado por la teoría de interseccionalidad, el presente estudio examinó los comportamientos de riesgo sexual (i.e., el uso inconsistente de condón, el número de parejas sexuales) en relación con el desarrollo de la identidad étnica y las experiencias reportadas de la discriminación y el sexismo entre 450 estudiantes universitarias Latinas (edades de 18­26 años). Notablemente, los resultados indicaron que las Latinas que reportaron niveles relativamente más bajos de compromiso de identidad étnica tenían, en promedio, aproximadamente cinco parejas sexuales más cuando habían reportado más experiencias de sexismo de por vida. Los hallazgos resaltan cómo las experiencias sexistas contribuyeron a un mayor número de parejas sexuales entre las Latinas que reportan niveles relativamente más bajos de compromiso de identidad étnica, demostrando que un fuerte compromiso de identidad étnica era protector contra el riesgo de acuerdo con investigaciones anteriores. Los resultados indican una necesidad continua para promover la salud sexual de las estudiantes universitarias Latinas.

Social cognitive predictors of academic and life satisfaction: Measurement and structural equivalence across three racial/ethnic groups.

Data of 306 Caucasian American, 284 Asian American, and 259 Latino/a American college students were analyzed in this study to test a modified version of Lent and Brown's (2006, 2008) satisfaction model in the academic context. In addition to the full set of variables hypothesized in the original model, the modified academic satisfaction model also included independent and interdependent self-construals to represent one's cultural orientations. Comparisons between the hypothesized model and 2 alternative models showed that direct paths from extraversion and emotional stability added significantly to the predictions of academic satisfaction and life satisfaction for all 3 racial/ethnic groups while those from independent and interdependent self-construals also had the same effects for Latino/a American students. The hypothesized model offered excellent fit to the data of all 3 racial/ethnic groups. Consistent with theoretical prediction, academic supports, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, or goal progress formed pathways that mediated the relations of personality traits and self-construals to academic satisfaction or life satisfaction across 3 groups. Although full measurement equivalence (configural invariance and metric invariance) was observed, 4 structural paths and 16 indirect effects differed significantly by race/ethnicity. Most of these differences in structural paths and indirect effects occurred between Caucasian Americans and Asian Americans. On balance, findings of the study provided evidence for the cross-racial/ethnic validity of the modified academic satisfaction model while identifying racial/ethnic differences that might have useful clinical implications. (PsycINFO Database Record