TY - JOUR
T1 - Family Connections and the Latino Health Paradox
T2 - Exploring the Mediating Role of Loneliness in the Relationships Between the Latina/o Cultural Value of Familism and Health
AU - Gallegos, Monica L.
AU - Segrin, Chris
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported in part by the Ford Foundation and by the University of Arizona Social and Behavioral Sciences Research Institute (SBSRI). Special thanks to Dr. Jaime Fatas, Associate Professor in the University of Arizona Department of Spanish and Portuguese, for help with English-to-Spanish translation of the survey and recruitment materials. The authors also wish to thank Dr. Jake Harwood and Dr. Steve Rains in the University of Arizona Department of Communication for comments on earlier versions of this manuscript.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - This study aims to understand Latina/o health from a social relationships perspective. Specifically, a major goal of the study is to explain how despite disadvantages (e.g., lower income and less education), Latinas/os in some cases have superior health compared to non-Latina/o whites, a phenomenon known as the Latino Health Paradox. Based on the central role of familial relationships in Latina/o culture, and utilizing Hawkley and Cacioppo’s theoretical model of loneliness and health as a foundation for the study, the premise underlying this research is that the Latina/o cultural value of familism has a beneficial impact on health via reduced loneliness. Participants were 255 adults who identified as Latina/o (N = 139) or non-Latina/o white (N = 116), ranging in age from 19–88. Results indicate that being Latina/o predicted strong endorsement of familism, that predicted lower loneliness, and lower loneliness subsequently predicted better overall health, mental health, and health practices. These results suggest that the cultural value of familism provides health-related benefits for Latinas/os, which contributes to understanding the Latino health paradox. Results also underscore the value of including loneliness in studies examining the impact of cultural values on health, as only loneliness had statistically significant direct associations with all three health outcomes.
AB - This study aims to understand Latina/o health from a social relationships perspective. Specifically, a major goal of the study is to explain how despite disadvantages (e.g., lower income and less education), Latinas/os in some cases have superior health compared to non-Latina/o whites, a phenomenon known as the Latino Health Paradox. Based on the central role of familial relationships in Latina/o culture, and utilizing Hawkley and Cacioppo’s theoretical model of loneliness and health as a foundation for the study, the premise underlying this research is that the Latina/o cultural value of familism has a beneficial impact on health via reduced loneliness. Participants were 255 adults who identified as Latina/o (N = 139) or non-Latina/o white (N = 116), ranging in age from 19–88. Results indicate that being Latina/o predicted strong endorsement of familism, that predicted lower loneliness, and lower loneliness subsequently predicted better overall health, mental health, and health practices. These results suggest that the cultural value of familism provides health-related benefits for Latinas/os, which contributes to understanding the Latino health paradox. Results also underscore the value of including loneliness in studies examining the impact of cultural values on health, as only loneliness had statistically significant direct associations with all three health outcomes.
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U2 - 10.1080/10410236.2021.1909244
DO - 10.1080/10410236.2021.1909244
M3 - Article
C2 - 33853460
AN - SCOPUS:85104464357
SN - 1041-0236
VL - 37
SP - 1204
EP - 1214
JO - Health Communication
JF - Health Communication
IS - 9
ER -