RESUMO
The goal of this study was to evaluate the relationship between acculturation and psychological distress in three groups of older adults who have immigrated from Mexico, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. Financial strain and social isolation are specified as intervening mechanisms that are thought to link acculturation with well-being in late life. Data from a recent nationwide survey of older Hispanics suggest that levels of psychological distress tend to vary across Hispanic groups and that these differences may be attributed in part to the complex interplay between educational attainment, language acculturation, financial strain, and social isolation.
Assuntos
Aculturação , Idoso/psicologia , Hispânico ou Latino/psicologia , Estresse Psicológico/etnologia , Cuba/etnologia , Depressão/etnologia , Humanos , México/etnologia , Porto Rico/etnologia , Isolamento Social , Fatores SocioeconômicosRESUMO
Age differences were assessed in a conceptual model that seeks to explain how acculturation affects psychological well-being among Mexican Americans. The data were from a national probability sample of 859 persons of Mexican decent. It was hypothesized that low acculturation creates financial stress. Moreover, low acculturation and financial stress were in turn predicted to erode feelings of personal control and self-esteem. Finally, diminished feelings of control and low self-esteem were hypothesized to exert a negative impact on psychological well-being. When data from respondents of all ages was assessed, empirical support was found for all of the hypotheses except the linkage between acculturation and financial stress. However, few age differences emerged in the model. The authors conclude that older Mexican Americans may not be more vulnerable to the stressors associated with acculturation.
Assuntos
Aculturação , Envelhecimento/psicologia , Hispânico ou Latino/psicologia , Adaptação Psicológica , Adulto , Feminino , Humanos , Controle Interno-Externo , Idioma , Masculino , Casamento , México/etnologia , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Autoimagem , Fatores Socioeconômicos , Estados UnidosRESUMO
This study examines differences in the structure of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale across three generations of Mexican Americans. The covariance structure of the items was viewed as a function of several parameter matrices. Factorial invariance was evaluated by testing a series of hypotheses involving equivalence constraints on one or more parameter matrices. The findings revealed that the proposed 12-item model fits the data within each of the three generations adequately. Although no generational differences in factor loadings were revealed, structural variations of the CES-D in measurement error variances were found. Measurement error variances associated with certain items in the older generation are significantly greater than those in the middle-aged and young generations. In addition, socioeconomic characteristics, acculturation, and health status fail to explain the observed differences in the structure of the CES-D among the three generations.
Assuntos
Depressão/etnologia , Hispânico ou Latino/psicologia , Escalas de Graduação Psiquiátrica , Adulto , Fatores Etários , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Humanos , México/etnologia , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estados UnidosRESUMO
Data from a three-generation study of Mexican Americans conducted in the San Antonio, Texas area are utilized to examine the influence of acculturation into the larger society on alcohol consumption. Acculturation was not related to alcohol consumption in the older generation. In the middle generation, it was related to lower alcohol consumption among men, as well as among women. In the younger generation, acculturation was related to more drinking among women, but not among men. Within-family analysis showed that the alcohol consumption of members of the younger generation was associated with the consumption of their parents, particularly in the case of younger women.
Assuntos
Consumo de Bebidas Alcoólicas/etnologia , Características Culturais , Cultura , Hispânico ou Latino , Adulto , Fatores Etários , Idoso , Coleta de Dados , Família , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , México/etnologia , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Fatores Sexuais , TexasRESUMO
The influence of intergenerational solidarity (association and affection) on the psychological well-being of older Mexican Americans was investigated with data from a three-generations study. Perceived affection with grandchildren was an important positive predictor of well-being. Affection with children and association with either children or grandchildren, however, were not positively related to well-being. In fact, association with children was related to greater depression among the elderly adults. This unexpected finding might be the result of dependency of elderly people on their children, which is positively correlated with both association and depression. The addition of a measure of dependency to the analysis, however, failed to explain the positive relationship between association and depression.