The moderating effects of acculturation on the relation of parenting strategies to unhealthy weight control behaviors in Hispanic daughters.

There is a dearth of research regarding the association of child and parent traits to the use of unhealthy weight control behaviors among minority girls with obesity. This study examined the moderating effects of mothers' and daughters' acculturation in the relation of parenting strategies (setting limits, monitoring and discipline) to unhealthy weight control behaviors in Hispanic girls with obesity. Participants included 148 Hispanic mother-daughter dyads (Mage = 39.1, SD = 6.4 years; Mage = 11.3, SD = 1.5 years, respectively). Two-thirds of the mothers were born in Mexico and 46% of them reported low levels of acculturation. In contrast, almost all daughters (90%) were born in the United States and reported high levels of acculturation. Participants were recruited through school nurses and social agencies community coordinators. Mothers and daughters completed surveys on demographic, acculturation, unhealthy weight control behaviors (daughters only) and parenting strategies (mothers only), and had their height, weight, and adiposity assessed. Results from a hierarchical regression analysis revealed that daughters' acculturation, but not mothers' acculturation, moderated the relation of parenting limit setting to daughters' reported engagement in unhealthy weight control behaviors (ß = 1.12, p = 0.007). That is, mothers who used more limit setting were less likely to have daughters engaging in unhealthy weight control behavior and this association was stronger among low acculturated girls than among their highly acculturated counterparts. Future research should assess cultural influences and parenting practices in a sample of Hispanic mothers and their adolescent daughters of varied weight statuses and acculturation levels.

Perceived Stress in Black and Latino Male Firefighters: Associations with Risk and Protective Factors.

Objective: To compare the prevalence of work-related protective and risk factors among Black and Latino male firefighters and to examine the association of these factors to perceived stress among both ethnic groups. Design Setting Participants: Participants included 1,036 male, career firefighters who self-identified as Black (n=477) or Latino (n=559) from a large fire department in a major metropolitan city in the southwestern United States. As part of a department-wide suicide prevention program conducted in 2008, participants completed an anonymous and voluntary mental health needs survey. Measures: The needs survey included questions regarding prevalence of work-related protective and risk factors, the RAPS-4 to assess substance abuse problems, and the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale. Results: Results of regression analyses indicated that for both Black and Latino male firefighters, alcohol abuse (ß =.13, ß =.22), self-reported good health (ß = -.23, ß =-.24) and a positive partner/spouse relationship (ß =-.14, ß = -.15) were related to perceived stress. In addition, having a second job (ß = .12) and a sense of life calling (ß =-.10) were related to perceived stress only among Latino firefighters. All associations were in the expected direction as indicated by the signs of the standardized beta coefficients (ß). Conclusion: Black and Latino male firefighters reported relatively high levels of perceived stress. However, there were both differences and similarities in the factors associated to perceived stress among the ethnic groups. Therefore, interventions to help firefighters reduce or manage stress need to take into account that factors associated with perceived stress may vary by ethnic group.

Minority stress, ethnic identity, and depression among Latino/a college students.

The main purpose of the study was to examine among Latino/a college students the extent to which dimensions of minority stress related to ethnic group membership (college climate, academic achievement, ethnic discrimination, and intra-ethnic pressure stress) were uniquely associated with depression symptoms when general college stress was taken into account. The study also examined if ethnic identity moderated the relation of minority stress to depression symptoms. Participants were 309 Latino/a undergraduate students (53% women; 69% of Mexican descent) enrolled in a diverse, major research, urban, public university in the southwestern United States. Findings revealed that minority stress in the areas of academic concerns and negative perceptions of the campus climate contributed unique variance to depression symptoms when controlling for gender and students' general college stress. Ethnic identity did not moderate the relation of any of the minority stress dimensions to depression. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Illness intrusiveness, health locus of control, and anxiety symptoms among veterans with congestive heart failure.

Disease severity, illness intrusiveness, and health locus of control (HLC) each contribute to psychosocial wellbeing in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). To better understand the relationships between these variables regarding anxiety symptoms, we analyzed data from 116 adult male veterans with comorbid CHF and anxiety. Results suggested that illness intrusiveness significantly mediated the relation of CHF severity to anxiety symptom severity, and that the illness intrusiveness domains of physical well-being/diet, work/finances, and other aspects of life (religious/spirituality, community/civic, self-improvement/expression) were also significant mediators of that relationship. The relation of illness intrusiveness to anxiety was not moderated by internal HLC. Findings highlight the importance of assessing and treating various aspects of illness intrusiveness to manage anxiety symptoms in CHF patients.

Race, psychosocial characteristics, and treatment outcomes among individuals undergoing treatment for cannabis use disorder: A latent profile analysis based on preferred method of using cannabis.

INTRODUCTION: There are a wide variety of methods for using combustible cannabis which may impact an individual's pattern of use as well as their response to cannabis use disorder (CUD) treatment. Previous research has noted racial/ethnic differences in cannabis users' preferred method of use. METHOD: The current study examined data from a randomized placebo-controlled trial of a pharmacological intervention for adults with CUD. Latent profile analysis classified participants (N = 302) based on their primary method of combustible cannabis use. RESULTS: A four profile solution emerged which identified participants who demonstrated 1) Primarily Joint (n = 50), 2) Primarily Blunt (n = 106), 3) Mixed MoU (n = 30), and 4) Primarily Pipe (i.e., pipe or bong; n = 116) use. Profiles were compared on socio-demographic characteristics and racial differences were found among the four latent profiles as well as differences in their level of use. Cannabis users with a preference for joints were more likely to be White as compared to other racial groups. In contrast, a greater proportion of participants with a preference for blunts were African American. The Primarily Joint profile was found to have the highest cannabis relapse rate at 1-month follow-up (94%) which was significantly greater than the Mixed MoU (74%, x2 = 5.06, p < .05) and Primarily Pipe (78%, x2 = 9.24, p < .01) profiles. Interestingly, there was no difference in 1-Month Follow-up cannabis relapse rates between the Primarily Joint and Blunt profiles (87%, x2 = 9.24, p > .05). CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that treatment-seeking individuals who primarily use joints or blunts may face unique challenges that may impact cannabis abstinence. Along with other cannabis-related characteristics, an individual's preferred method of use may represent an important factor to consider in the treatment of CUD.

Acculturative Stress Among Documented and Undocumented Latino Immigrants in the United States.

The purpose of the study was to examine differences between documented and undocumented Latino immigrants in the prevalence of three immigration-related challenges (separation from family, traditionality, and language difficulties), which were made more severe after the passage of restrictive immigration legislation in 1996. Specifically, the study sought to determine the combined and unique associations of legal status, the three immigration-related challenges listed above, and fear of deportation to acculturative stress related to family and other social contexts. Participants in the study consisted of 416 documented and undocumented Mexican and Central American immigrants living in two major cities in Texas. The Hispanic Stress Inventory-Immigrant form was used to assess acculturative stress in the sample. Results indicated that although undocumented immigrants reported higher levels of the immigration challenges of separation from family, traditionality, and language difficulties than documented immigrants, both groups reported similar levels of fear of deportation. Results also indicated that the immigration challenges and undocumented status were uniquely associated with extrafamilial acculturative stress but not with intrafamilial acculturative stress. Only fear of deportation emerged as a unique predictor of both extrafamililal and intrafamilial acculturative stress.

Psychosocial intervention utilization and substance abuse treatment outcomes in a multisite sample of individuals who use opioids.

BACKGROUND: There are several relatively safe and effective FDA-approved medications for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). Despite the existence of these medications, the rate of returning to opioid use after treatment is relatively high, underscoring the need for continued enhancement of treatments. Adjunctive psychosocial interventions paired with medication have been shown to improve OUD treatment outcomes. However, studies have yet to conclusively examine the distinct effects of the most widely utilized psychosocial treatment modalities. The current study will investigate the relationship between individual counseling, group therapy, and 12-Step participation and illicit opioid abstinence at the end of treatment, 1 and 3 months after treatment. METHOD: A secondary analysis was conducted with data from a sample of 570 individuals diagnosed with OUD who were recruited from eight substance abuse treatment centers in the United States. Participants were enrolled in a two-group randomized, controlled trial testing buprenorphine-naloxone versus extended-release naltrexone for OUD. A two-level hierarchical linear growth model was used to examine the effects of individual counseling, group therapy, and 12-Step participation on illicit opioid abstinence (urinanalyses) 1- and 3-months post-treatment. RESULTS: Hours of individual counseling and 12-Step participation significantly predicted abstinence at follow-up (p < .001, b = -0.59, 95% CI [0.42, 0.74]; p < .01, b = -0.05, 95% CI [0.92, 0.98]). There was a significant interaction between individual counseling and 12-Step participation (p < .01, b = -0.06, 95% CI [1.02, 1.10]). Additionally, participant age and employment status were significant predictors of illicit opioid abstinence (p < .01, b = -0.02, 95% CI [0.97, 0.99]; p < .01, b = -0.38, 95% CI [0.52, 0.90]). Hours of group therapy was not found to significantly predict illicit opioid abstinence. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that greater levels of individual therapy and 12-Step participation may be beneficial for individuals receiving medication treatment for OUD.

Alcohol use severity among Hispanic emerging adults: Examining the roles of bicultural self-efficacy and acculturation.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to (1) examine respective associations of acculturation orientations (e.g., U.S. orientation and Hispanic orientation) and domains (e.g., social groundedness and role repertoire) of bicultural self-efficacy, the perceived confidence to function effectively within the receiving culture and the heritage culture, with alcohol use severity among Hispanic emerging adults. This study also aimed to (2) examine potential moderating factors of respective associations among acculturation orientations and bicultural self-efficacy with alcohol use severity. METHOD: 200 Hispanic emerging adults from Arizona (n = 99) and Florida (n = 101) completed a cross-sectional survey. Inclusion criteria were being ages 18-25, self-identify as Hispanic or Latina/o, and currently living in Maricopa County or Miami-Dade County. Data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression and moderation analyses. RESULTS: Findings indicate that neither of the acculturation orientations nor role repertoire had main effects with alcohol use severity. However, higher social groundedness was associated with lower alcohol use severity. Moderation analyses indicate that the interaction between the U.S. orientation and study site and the interaction between the Hispanic orientation and social groundedness were statistically significant in relation to alcohol use severity. CONCLUSIONS: Considering that the U.S. orientation was associated with alcohol use severity only in Arizona highlights the need for multisite studies on acculturation. Our findings demonstrate that other sociocultural processes such as acculturation can impact bicultural self-efficacy; and that the association between bicultural self-efficacy and alcohol merits further investigation. However, more thorough assessments of bicultural self-efficacy are needed to better understand its effects on alcohol.

Measurement and Structural Invariance of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Hispanic and Caucasian Firefighters: A Bias-Corrected Bootstrap Confidence Intervals Approach.

This study compared across Hispanic and Caucasian firefighters the relative fit of the four-factor Emotional Numbing and Dysphoria posttraumatic stress disorder models to the more recently proposed Dysphoric Arousal five-factor model. As hypothesized, the Dysphoric Arousal five-factor model emerged as the best fitting model within each ethnic group and it also showed measurement invariance between groups (configural invariance). Results of multigroup confirmatory factor analyses and a bias-corrected bootstrap confidence intervals analytic approach indicated that the five factor model also demonstrated invariance in factor loadings (metric invariance) and item-level intercepts (scalar invariance) across the two ethnic groups. Results indicate that the Dysphoric Arousal five factor model captures similar psychological constructs across Caucasian and English-speaking Hispanic firefighters. Therefore, observed factor scores are comparable across ethnic groups and can be combined when examining predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder severity.

The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D): Measurement equivalence across gender groups in Hispanic college students.

BACKGROUND: This study examined among Hispanic college students the factor structure and gender measurement invariance of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale. The CES-D's original 20 item four-factor model was compared to a recently proposed 14 item, three-factor model. METHODS: Participants included 858 Hispanic undergraduates at an ethnically diverse, major research, urban, public university in the Southwest United States (U.S.). Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) and structural equation modeling were used to examine the factor structure, gender invariance, and construct validity of the CES-D scores. RESULTS: Multigroup CFAs provided support for full configural and metric invariance and partial scalar invariance for the three-factor model across gender groups. Two of the 14 items (#3 and #18) demonstrated different thresholds; women scored higher than men in both items. The pattern of latent correlations of the three depression factors to four stress variables (college academic, social, financial and discrimination stress) demonstrated configural, metric and scalar invariance across gender groups. LIMITATIONS: About two thirds of the participants were women and most were of Mexican descent and had been born in the U.S. Therefore, findings may not generalize to more gender balanced samples and students from other Latin American countries or immigration generational status. CONCLUSIONS: Partial scalar invariance in two items may not have a strong impact in the calculation of the overall depression score. Given evidence for functional invariance, results provide support for the use of the14-item, three-factor CES-D scale to assess depression symptoms among Hispanic college students.

Factor structure and external correlates of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms among African American firefighters.

This study compared the relative goodness of fit of three well-established factorial models of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among 477 African American male firefighters in a large city in the US. The compared models were the two four-factor emotional numbing and dysphoria models and a five-factor dysphoric arousal model. The study also examined the convergent and discriminant validity of PTSD symptom clusters in relation to depression and alcohol dependence symptoms. Both the emotional numbing and dysphoric arousal PTSD models provided a superior fit to the data compared to the dysphoria model. Findings also indicated a good fit for factor models that included PTSD, depression, and alcohol dependence latent factors, which provides support for the specificity of PTSD symptom clusters. Depression symptoms were more strongly correlated with PTSD symptom clusters than alcohol dependence. In the dysphoric arousal model, depression and alcohol dependence were equally related to the emotional numbing and dysphoric arousal clusters; however, both depression and alcohol dependence were more highly correlated with dysphoric arousal than with anxious arousal. Even though the emotional numbing and dysphoric arousal models demonstrated a superior fit to the data, the four-factor dysphoria model may provide a more parsimonious representation of PTSD's latent structure than the five-factor dysphoric arousal model. In conclusion, this study extends support for the well-established PTSD symptom factor models among African Americans, a population with whom these models had not been examined earlier.

Predicting patterns of adolescent alcohol use: a longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE: Because most studies of adolescent alcohol use have focused primarily on the frequency and quantity of consumption, we know little about how adolescent drinking patterns change during the high school years. The purpose of this article is to provide such data, as well as to identify some of the individual, family, social life and community predictors of changes in drinking patterns over time. METHOD: A sample of 1,253 students in grades 9 through 12 (57% female) in a large metropolitan school district participated. Three ethnicities were represented: African American, European American and Mexican American. Students completed questionnaires every 6 months for a 2-year period (n = 743 at Time 4). RESULTS: Cluster analyses of the drinking variables yielded one problem-drinking group (heavy, multiple-context drinking), two high-risk groups (i.e., date and outdoor drinking) and three normative groups (light, family/parent, moderate/ party drinking). The most predictable patterns of longitudinal changes in adolescent drinking were consistent with the following progression (or the reverse): abstainer --> normative drinker --> high-risk drinker --> problem drinker. Paternal attitudes toward adolescent drinking and peer involvement in antisocial behavior predicted movement into normative drinking; social activity with peers predicted movement into high-risk drinking; and emotional distress predicted the transition into problem drinking. CONCLUSIONS: These findings are consistent with the multistage social learning model, demonstrating that the predictors of adolescent alcohol use vary across different levels of adolescent alcohol involvement.

Interpersonal trauma, attachment insecurity and anxiety in an inpatient psychiatric population.

Current research suggests that interpersonal trauma has an impact on insecure attachment and anxiety. Some research further suggests that attachment may play a mediating role between traumatic events and psychopathology. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the experience of interpersonal trauma, attachment anxiety, attachment avoidance and clinical anxiety severity among adult psychiatric inpatients who reported having experienced interpersonal trauma after the age of 16. It was hypothesized that attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance would mediate the relationship between interpersonal trauma and clinical anxiety level. This study used archival data on 414 adult psychiatric inpatients in a large city in the Southwest U.S. Results suggest that interpersonal trauma was correlated to attachment avoidance but not to attachment anxiety and that attachment avoidance partially mediated the relation of interpersonal trauma to anxiety. The attachment framework appositely explains how a negative model of other contributes to the relation between experiences of interpersonal trauma and anxiety in adulthood.

Mother-Youth Acculturation Gaps and Health-Risking/Emotional Problems among Latin-American Adolescents.

Second-generation Latin-American adolescents tend to show higher levels of various health-risking behaviors and emotional problems than first-generation Latin-American adolescents. This cross-sectional study of 40 mother-adolescent dyads examined the association of mother-youth acculturation gaps to youth adjustment problems. Intergenerational acculturation gaps were assessed as a bidimensional self-report component and a novel observational measurement component. The Latin-American adolescents were predominantly second-generation of Mexican descent (M age = 13.42 years, SD = 0.55). Most of the mothers were born in Mexico (M age = 39.18 years, SD = 5.17). Data were collected from mothers, adolescents, and coders, using questionnaires, structured interviews, and videotaped mother-youth interaction tasks. Findings revealed generally weak support for the acculturation gap-distress hypothesis. In addition, stronger relative adherence to their heritage culture by the adolescents was significantly (p < .05, ES = 0.15) related to less engagement in early health-risking sexual behaviors, possibly reflecting selective acculturation processes. Mother-youth acculturation gaps in orientation to the heritage culture were the most salient dimension, changing the focus on the original formulation of the acculturation gap-distress hypothesis.