Health risk behavior and cultural stress among Venezuelan youth: a person centered approach.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, more than 5 million Venezuelans have left their once prosperous country, with several hundred thousand settling in the United States (US). At present, our understanding of the health risk behavior profiles of Venezuelan émigré youth, and their links with cultural stress, remains limited. OBJECTIVES: Drawing from a sample of recently-immigrated Venezuelan youth in the US, we aim to identify subtypes of youth according to their involvement in health risk behaviors (i.e., substance use, sexual risk behavior, violence) and assess the associations between class membership and key constructs related to cultural stress theory (i.e., negative context of reception, family communication/support). METHOD: Latent profile analysis and multinomial regression were performed using data from a community-based convenience sample of 402 recently-arrived Venezuelan immigrant youth (ages 10-17; 56% male). RESULTS: We identified five subtype classes: (1) "Abstainer" (36%), (2) "Alcohol Only" (24%), (3) "Alcohol/Tobacco" (24%), (4) "Aggression" (8%), and (5) "Multidimensional Risk" (8%). Compared to Class #1, youth in Classes #3 and #5 reported significantly higher levels of negative context of reception and lower levels of family functioning while controlling for demographic factors. Youth in Class #5 reported the lowest levels of family economic hardship and the longest duration in the US. CONCLUSION: It is vital that we support both Venezuelan youth who abstain from risk behavior and, at the same time, develop and implement programs that target the needs of those who are at elevated risk for serious consequences related to substance use, sexual risk behavior, and violence.

A validation of the Perceived Negative Context of Reception Scale with recently-arrived Venezuelan immigrants in Colombia and the United States.

OBJECTIVES: Millions of Venezuelans have left their country in search of safety and stability in the United States (U.S.) and Colombia, two countries where recent increases in anti-immigrant rhetoric and sentiment have occurred. The Perceived Negative Context of Reception Scale captures the degree to which immigrants report feeling that people from their country are unwanted/marginalized within their new receiving context. In the present study, we examine the psychometric properties of the Perceived Negative Context of Reception Scale with recent Venezuelan immigrant adolescents and adults in the U.S. and Colombia. METHOD: We conducted confirmatory factor analysis using data from the Colombia and Miami's Newest Arrivals (CAMINAR) Study, which collected data from Venezuelan adults in Bogotá, Colombia, and South Florida in October-November 2017, and the Venezolanos en Nuevos Entornos (VENE) Youth Project which surveyed Venezuelan youth living in Florida between November 2018 and July 2019. RESULTS: We found that the negative context of reception evidenced strong psychometric properties among immigrants in both the U.S. and in Colombia, among adolescents and adults, and among male and female respondents. We also found that negative context of reception scores was associated with elevated scores on criterion-related factors-that is, perceived discrimination and depressive symptoms-in ways that are theoretically coherent and support measure validity. CONCLUSION: We provide new evidence that the Perceived Negative Context of Reception scale is reliable and valid for use with Venezuelan immigrants in the U.S. and Colombia. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Trends and mental health correlates of discrimination among Latin American and Asian immigrants in the United States.

PURPOSE: To examine the national trends and mental health correlates of discrimination among Latin American and Asian immigrants in the United States. METHODS: We examine data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions collected between 2004 and 2013. Recurrent discrimination was measured by respondent reports of adverse experiences such as receiving poor treatment in restaurants or being called a racist name. RESULTS: Rates of perceived discrimination increased by more than 80 percent among immigrants from Latin America (from 14% in 2004 to 25% in 2013), but remained unchanged among Asian immigrants (20-22%). Large percentage point (pp) increases were observed among Latin American immigrants with less than a high school education (pp increase = 13.5) and residing in households earning $20-35,000 annually (pp increase = 14.0). CONCLUSIONS: Findings raise concern both because of the inherent iniquitousness of discrimination and because identity-based mistreatment is linked with mental health problems.

Cultural Stress and Substance Use Risk among Venezuelan Migrant Youth in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Since 2015, more than four million Venezuelans have fled their once prosperous nation, prompting an ever-intensifying refugee crisis. Recent research with Venezuelan parents suggests that many are exposed to elevated migration-related stress, experience behavioral health problems, and express profound concern for their children's post-migration wellbeing. We examine the relationships between stress, family functioning, and substance use risk with a cultural stress theoretical lens. Methods: Survey data were collected between November 2018 and June 2019 from 402 recently-arrived Venezuelan immigrant youth ages 10-17. Outcomes include perceived discrimination, negative context of reception, family support/communication, and substance use intentions and normative beliefs. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the relationships between variables. Results: Structural equation modeling results indicated that negative context of reception was associated with permissive substance use norms (via family communication; B = 0.070, p < .01) and intentions to use (via family support; B = 0.051, p < .01). Discrimination was not mediated by family functioning, rather it exerted a direct effect on substance use norms (ß = 0.20, p < .01) and intentions (ß = 0.33, p < .001). Discussion: We see clear evidence that negative context of reception and discrimination are related to substance use risk, both directly (in the case of discrimination) and indirectly (in the case of negative context of reception). Given the manifold stressors faced by Venezuelan immigrants both prior to migration and in the process of resettling in the US, it is critical that practitioners and policymakers support this rapidly-growing population.

Overeating and binge eating among immigrants in the United States: new terrain for the healthy immigrant hypothesis.

BACKGROUND: Prior research indicates that, compared to individuals born in the United States (US), immigrants are less likely to experience mental health and inhibitory control problems. However, our understanding of overeating and binge eating-both related to mental health and inhibitory control-among immigrants in the US remains limited. Drawing from a large national study, we report the prevalence of overeating and binge eating among immigrants vis-à-vis the US-born. METHODS: The data source used for the present study is the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC-III, 2012-2013), a nationally representative survey of 36,309 civilian, non-institutionalized adults ages 18 and older in the US. Logistic regression was employed to examine the relationship between immigrant status and key outcomes. RESULTS: The prevalence of any (immigrants = 7.8%, US-born = 17.0%) and recurrent overeating (immigrants = 2.9%, US-born = 5.3%) was lower among immigrants than US-born individuals. Among those reporting recurrent overeating, the prevalence of binge eating with loss of control was comparable among immigrant (37.2%) and US-born participants (39.9%), in general. However, stratified analyses revealed that risk of binge eating with loss of control was lower among immigrant women compared to US-born women (AOR 0.54, 95% CI 0.29-0.98). CONCLUSIONS: Findings from the present study provide clear results that immigrants are substantially less likely to overeat as compared to US-born individuals and that, among women but not men, immigrant status is associated with lower risk of binge eating with loss of control.

Similar changes in cognitions following cognitive-behavioral therapy or escitalopram for major depressive disorder: Implications for mechanisms of change.

BACKGROUND: Psychosocial treatments and medications both have been shown to be effective in treating major depressive disorder. We hypothesized that cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) would outperform medication on measures of cognitive change. METHODS: We randomized depressed individuals to 12 weeks of CBT (n = 15) or escitalopram (n = 11). In an intent-to-treat analysis (n = 26), we conducted a repeated measures analysis of variance to examine changes in depressive symptoms (ie, 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Beck Depression Inventory), anhedonia (ie, Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale), cognitive measures (ie, Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale, Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale), and quality of life (ie, Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire) at 4 time points: baseline, week 4, week 8, and week 12. Treatment for both groups started at baseline, and patients received either 12 weeks of individual CBT or 12 weeks of escitalopram with flexible dosing (10 to 20 mg). RESULTS: Collapsing the escitalopram and CBT groups, there were statistically significant pre-post changes on all outcome measures. However, there were no statistically significant differences between treatment groups on any of the outcome measures, including cognitive measures across time points. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that both CBT and escitalopram have similar effects across a variety of domains and that, in contrast to our a priori hypothesis, CBT and escitalopram were associated with comparable changes on cognitive measures.

Functional morphology and fiber types of the masseter muscles of two caviomorph rodents with contrasting lifestyles, Ctenomys talarum (Ctenomyidae) and Cavia aperea (Caviidae).

The aim of this work is the analysis of histochemical and morphometric properties of the masseter muscles of Ctenomys talarum and Cavia aperea. The former belongs to a subterranean rodent clade, Ctenomyidae, which has evolved a robust masticatory apparatus adapted to chisel-tooth digging and processing of abrasive grasses; C. aperea belongs to the family Caviidae, with relatively graceful jaws and mandibular musculatures, consistent with less mechanically challenging diets. Adult males were captured, immediately transported to the laboratory, and euthanized in a CO2 chamber. The musculus masseter superficialis and musculus masseter profundus on the left side of the animals were used to analyze the histochemical composition of the fiber types treated with myosin adenosine triphosphatase, succinate dehydrogenase and periodic acid Schiff. The mean fiber diameters, relative areas, and frequencies of each muscle fiber type were calculated. The mm. masseter superficialis and masseter profundus on the right side were used to measure the physiological cross-sectional area (PCSA). Based on this measurement, the internal force (F) was estimated. In the m. masseter profundus of both species and in the m. masseter superficialis of C. aperea intermediate fast oxidative-glycolytic fibers (FOGi) predominated. In the mm. masseter superficialis and masseter profundus of C. talarum the relative area of fast glycolytic (FG) fibers was greater than that of the muscles of C. aperea, whose main muscle fiber component is FOGi fibers. When corrected for body mass differences, PCSA was higher for the mm. masseter superficialis of C. talarum. This and the larger relative area of FG fibers, probably contributes to the exertion of large bite forces in C. talarum, as measured in previous studies.

Toward a Typology of Transnational Communication among Venezuelan Immigrant Youth: Implications for Behavioral Health.

We identify subtypes of Venezuelan youth based on patterns of technology-based communication with friends in their receiving (US) and sending (Venezuela) countries and, in turn, examine the behavioral health characteristics among different "subtypes" of youth. Using data from 402 recently-arrived Venezuelan immigrant youth (ages 10-17), latent profile analysis and multinomial regression are employed to examine the relationships between technology-based communication and key outcomes. We identified a four-class solution: [#1] "Daily Contact in US, In Touch with Venezuela" (32%), [#2] "Daily Communication in Both Countries" (19%), [#3] "Weekly Contact: More Voice/Text Than Social Media" (35%), and [#4] "Infrequent Communication with US and Venezuela" (14%). Compared to Class #1, youth in Classes #2 and #3 report elevated depressive symptomatology and more permissive substance use views. Findings suggest that how youth navigate and maintain transnational connections varies substantially, and that technology-based communication is related to key post-migration outcomes.

Disconcerting levels of alcohol use among Venezuelan immigrant adolescents in the United States.

BACKGROUND: It is estimated that more than 4 million Venezuelans have left their country as a direct result of their nation's widespread social and economic challenges. Although recent research identifies Venezuela as one of the nations with the highest rates of harmful alcohol consumption in the Americas, no research has been conducted on alcohol use among Venezuelan youth in diaspora. METHODS: Data was collected between November 2018 and June 2019 from 373 Venezuelan immigrant youth ages 12-17 in the United States. The prevalence of past-month and lifetime alcohol use among Venezuelan youth is compared to that of other Hispanic and immigrant youth from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), and the Construyendo Oportunidades Para Adolecentes Latinos (COPAL) study using independent sample t tests. RESULTS: The prevalence of past-month and lifetime alcohol use was significantly higher among Venezuelan immigrant youth (15% and 52%, respectively) compared to other Hispanic (9% and 28%) and immigrant (4.5% and 28%) youth in the NSDUH, and youth ages 14-17 in the COPAL study (4.0% and 22%). Among Venezuelan youth reporting alcohol use initiation, 1.5% of youth ages 12-14 and 19% ages 15-17 report lifetime alcohol intoxication. DISCUSSION: Although preliminary, results indicate that a disconcerting proportion of Venezuelan crisis migrant youth in the US report lifetime alcohol initiation and past-month use. These findings suggest the importance of future research to examine the prevalence and correlates of alcohol use in this population using recruitment and sampling methods that will allow for population-level estimates.

Recent trends in cooperativeness among participants in the national survey of drug use and health 2002-2015.

BACKGROUND: An important issue in alcohol and drug use research is the degree to which study participants cooperate with survey interviewers and provide accurate information. We examine the year-by-year trends in the perceived cooperativeness of participants in a large national survey focused on alcohol and drug use in the United States between 2002 and 2015. METHODS: We examine fourteen years of cross-sectional data (2002-2015) from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) using the NSDUH's Restricted Data Analysis System. The main variable of interest was field interviewer reported participant cooperativeness (i.e., "How cooperative was the respondent?"). We present estimates of proportional rates of cooperation and examine the degree to which the estimated proportions for cooperativeness vary from 2002 to 2003 estimates based on non-overlapping 95% confidence intervals as a proxy for secular trend tests. RESULTS: The proportion of respondents classified as "very cooperative" was consistently elevated in all survey years, increasing significantly from 95.6% (CI = 95.4-95.8) in 2002-2003 to 96.7% (CI = 96.5-96.8) in 2014-2015. Elevated levels of cooperation were observed for participants reporting no/any past-year alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, and heroin use. Rates were elevated-96 to 98% in 2014-2015-among respondents of all sociodemographic backgrounds (i.e., age, gender, race/ethnicity, income, nativity). Only a fraction of participants were classified as "not very cooperative" (0.2-0.4%) or "openly hostile" (0.1%). CONCLUSIONS: Cooperativeness with NSDUH survey research has been very high since the early 2000s with perceived participant cooperativeness increasing in recent years and consistently low rates of non-cooperativeness across all years.

Trends in cannabis use among immigrants in the United States, 2002-2017: Evidence from two national surveys.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Findings from recent studies suggest that, among the general population of adults, the prevalence of cannabis use has increased over the last decade in the United States (US). And yet, there is much we do not know regarding the trends in cannabis use among immigrants. We address this important shortcoming by examining data on immigrants vis-à-vis US-born individuals using two national surveys. METHODS: We examine trend data from the National Epidemiologic Study on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC, 2001-2013) and the National Survey on Drug Use and Health's Restricted Data Analysis System (NSDUH, 2002-2017). Main outcomes were past year cannabis use and cannabis use disorder with survey adjusted prevalence estimates generated for immigrants and US-born individuals. RESULTS: In the NESARC, significant increases in the past year prevalence of cannabis use were observed both among US-born (2001-2002: 4.53%, 2012-2013: 10.74%) and immigrant participants (2001-2002: 1.67%, 2012-2013: 3.32%). We also found significant increases among immigrants arriving before age 12 and among immigrants from Latin America and Europe. In the NSDUH, we observed a significantly higher prevalence of cannabis use in 2016-2017 (6.3%) when compared to 2002-2003 (4.4%). CONCLUSIONS: Findings make clear that cannabis use among US-born individuals has consistently been higher than that of immigrants since the early 2000s. However, while rates of cannabis use have declined among US-born adolescents in recent years, the prevalence of cannabis use has remained stable among immigrant adolescents. At the same time, cannabis use increased two-fold among both US-born and immigrant adults.

Trends and drug-related correlates in residential mobility among young adults in the United States, 2003-2016.

INTRODUCTION: Young adulthood, typically conceptualized as stretching from the late teens to the mid-twenties, is a period of elevated risk for residential mobility (i.e., moving or changing residences frequently) and drug involvement. However, our understanding of the trends and drug-related correlates of residential mobility among young adults remains limited. METHODS: We analyzed national trend data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2003-2016) on residential mobility and drug involvement among young adults (N = 230,790) in the United States. For tests of trend, we conducted logistic regression analyses with survey year specified as a continuous independent variable and residential mobility as the dependent variable (no/yes), controlling for sociodemographic factors. RESULTS: The prevalence of residential mobility was stable among females, but decreased significantly-a 20% reduction in the relative proportion of respondents-among males during the study period (AOR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.97-0.99). Male and female young adults reporting residential mobility were significantly more likely to report involvement in all drug-related outcomes examined, but effects were larger among females for drug selling and drug-related arrests. DISCUSSION: Study findings show that a substantial minority of young adults experience residential mobility and that, while rates are declining among young men, the experience of mobility is connected with risk for drug involvement, particularly among females. Mobility may be an important target for drug prevention/intervention efforts, but further research is needed to provide insight into how mobility and drug involvement are connected in the lives of young adults.