Cancer is the second leading cause of death among Latino immigrant men, and studies have found that the longer they reside in the US, the greater their risk for cancer. North Carolina's economic opportunities have attracted the fastest growing Latino population in the US. Nevertheless, these men encounter environmental stressors of language barriers, immigration laws, and racism. Coping with such stressors can lead to behaviors that increase their cancer risk, such.as alcohol consumption and tobacco use. Contributing to the problem is a health care system that has been unable to keep pace with Latino immigrant men's rapidly growing needs. Studies have shown that perceived racism is positively associated with cigarette use and alcohol consumption, and inversely associated with use of health care. The objective of the proposed study is to reveal the pathways underlying the relationship between perceived racism and cancer risk behaviors among Latino immigrant men in rural North Carolina. The study will be guided by the Ecosocial Model of racism and health and the Biopsychosocial Model of racism as a stressor.
The specific aims of the study are:
Aim 1 : To describe the prevalence of perceived racism among Latino immigrant men.
Aim 2 : To assess the relationship between perceived racism and cancer risk behaviors of tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and health care utilization among Latino immigrant men.
Aim 3 : To determine whether the relationship between perceived racism and cancer risk behaviors is moderated by Latino immigrant men's personal coping responses and sense of mastery. The study proposes to conduct confirmatory factor analysis and linear regression modeling, using cross- sectional data collected for the study, Men as Navigators for Health and Hombres Manteniendo Bienestar y Relaciones Saludables. The proposed research will contribute to the NCI goal of identifying and addressing underlying causes of racial and ethnic cancer disparities. Findings will contribute to both the theoretical and empirical literature by testing hypotheses about two pathways linking perceived racism and cancer risk behaviors, as well as proposed moderators of these relationships. Moreover, the results from our research can inform future cancer prevention and control interventions to reduce the negative effects of perceived racism for Latinos in new immigrant destinations. ? ? ? ?
| Ornelas, India J; Eng, Eugenia; Perreira, Krista M (2011) Perceived barriers to opportunity and their relation to substance use among Latino immigrant men. J Behav Med 34:182-91 |
| Ornelas, India J; Amell, Jim; Tran, Anh N et al. (2009) Understanding African American men's perceptions of racism, male gender socialization, and social capital through photovoice. Qual Health Res 19:552-65 |
