Acculturation, psychological distress, and smoking in Latinos living with HIV/AIDS
Abstract
In the United States smoking cigarettes is the leading cause of preventable death, and smoking is of particular health concern among people living with HIV. Depression has been consistently linked to smoking in the literature, and data indicate that acculturation to the U.S. is associated with increased depression among Latinos. This study examined if acculturation moderates the impact of depression on smoking behavior among Latinos living with HIV through the mediating effect of social support. The results may extend to the sociopsychological construct of culture. We studied 300 Latinos who live with HIV on the U.S./Mexico border. Results demonstrated there was a positive correlation between depression and smoking, and a negative correlation between social support and smoking. A negative correlation was found between social support and depression, and smoking was not correlated to acculturation to the U.S. or the culture of origin. In our sample, acculturation did not moderate the relationship between depression and smoking.
Subject Area
Public health|Clinical psychology
Recommended Citation
Armendariz, Jessica, "Acculturation, psychological distress, and smoking in Latinos living with HIV/AIDS" (2015). ETD Collection for University of Texas, El Paso. AAI1600302.
https://scholarworks.utep.edu/dissertations/AAI1600302