Mental Health andAcculturation Among Latino Youth 6 Months After 9/11

Pamela CespedesGregorio Luperon H.S

Mentor: Cristiane S. Duarte, PhD, MPH

Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Columbia University

Background

There is evidence that Latino populations, including children, are at higher risk of experiencing several health problems, such as: overweight, obesity, diabetes, asthma, caries, untreated disease, etc. Studies show that at least one in five children and adolescents have a mental health disorder.

Drinking, smoking, poor birth outcome and illicit drug use have all been related to acculturation. The relationship between acculturation and illicit drug use has been observed in adults, pregnant women, and adolescents as well.

Aim

The purpose of this project is to determine if Latino youth’s

acculturation to the American culture is related to mental health problems six months after the September 11,

2001 attack on the World Trade Center.

Acculturation Changes resulting from direct and continuous

contact between individuals having different cultures.

Includes:

Language

Food choice

Dress

Music

Sports

Involves adopting, abandoning, and/or blending an individual’s original culture with that of the another society

Hypothesis

Higher acculturation level is related to more mental health problems

Methods

Students enrolled in 94 public schools in NYC, interviewed 6 months after 9/11 (total N=8,236).

Grades 4 -12

Ages 9 -21

World Trade Center – Board of Education – New York City School study

(Principal Investigator: Christina Hoven, DrPH)

Data Analysis

Selection of a sub-sample: Students of Latino/Hispanic ethnicity

Development of an acculturation scale

Description and statistical analysis of the data

Sample N=2,936 participants of the original study who self-identified as of Latino or Hispanic ethnicity.

Measures

Acculturation scale

Any emotional disorders

Questions asked about acculturation:

1. What language is mainly spoken in your home?

2. Can your mother speak English well?

3. Can your father speak English well?

Acculturation Scale

Results

Results

Results

Results

Results Chi-square test=0.30; p=0.9599

Discussion

Other factors would explain Latino youth emotional disorders after 9/11, such as level of exposure to the WTC attack.

The measurement of acculturation only included the language dimension.

Importance of studying ethnic disparities in health outcomes.

References Redfield R, Linton R, Herskovits MJ. R. American Anthropologist. 1936;38:149-152.

Lara M, Gamboa C, Kahramanian MI, Morales LS, Hayes Bautista DE. Acculturation and Latino Health in the United States: A Review of the Literature and its Sociopolitical Context. Annu. Rev. Public Health. 2005;26:367-397.

Vega WA, Kolody B, Aguilar-Gaxiola S, Alderete E, Catalano R, Caraveo-Anduaga J. Lifetime Prevalence of DSM-III-R Psychiatric Disorders Among Urban and Rural Mexican Americans in California. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1998;55:771-778.

Hoven CW, Duarte CS, Lucas CP, Wu P, Mandell DJ, Goodwin RD, Cohen M, Balaban V, Woodruff BA, Bin F, Musa GJ, Mei L, Cantor PA, Aber JL, Cohen P, Susser E. Psychopathology Among New York City Public School Children 6 Months After September 11. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2005;62:545-551.

Flores G, Fuentes-Afflick E, Barbot O, Carter-Pokras O, Claudio L, Lara M, McLaurin JA, Pachter L, Gomez FR, Mendoza F, Valdez RB, Villarruel AM, Zambrana RE, Greenberg R, Weitzman M. The Health of Latino Children Urgent Priorities, Unanswered Questions, and a Research Agenda. JAMA. 2002;288:82-90.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (1999). Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Acknowledgements

Cristiane S. Duarte, PhD, MPH

Christina W. Hoven, DrPH

Cleo N. Long

Fan Bin

Dr. Sat Bhattacharya

Harlem Children Society

THANK YOU ALL!!!