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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).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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