Elma I. Lorenzo?Blanco|Jennifer B. Unger|Anamara Ritt?Olson|Daniel W. Soto|Lourdes Báezconde?Garbanati
Acculturation, Gender, Depression, and Cigarette Smoking Among U.S. Hispanic Youth: The Mediating Role of Perceived Discrimination
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor|University of Southern California|University of Southern California|University of Southern California|University of Southern California
hispanic youth risk experiencing depressive symptoms smoking cigarettes risk depressive symptoms cigarette use increase hispanic youth acculturate us culture mechanism acculturation leads symptoms depression cigarette smoking well understood present study examined whether perceived discrimination explained associations acculturation depressive symptoms cigarette smoking among 1124 hispanic youth 54 female youth southern california completed surveys 9th11th grade separate analyses gender showed perceived discrimination explained relationship acculturation depressive symptoms girls also evidence discrimination explained relationship acculturation cigarette smoking among girls effect marginally significant acculturation associated depressive symptoms smoking among girls perceived discrimination predicted depressive symptoms genders discrimination positively associated cigarette smoking girls boys results support notion although hispanic boys girls experience acculturation discrimination mental health smoking behaviors differentially affected experiences moreover results indicate acculturation gender discrimination important factors consider addressing hispanic youths mental health substance use behaviors