Project Summary/Abstract
Over the past decade, there has been a shift in Latinx immigration patterns to the U.S. (76% increase of
immigrants from Venezuela; 37% increase of immigrants from Guatemala). Seeking asylum from political
unrest, many of these immigrants are disproportionately impacted by the compounding conditions of pre and
post immigration- stress, trauma, depressive symptoms and alcohol misuse. Most investigations on the
interrelations of these conditions have been conducted among mostly Mexican immigrants residing in the U.S.
for an extended period of time. Far less is known about the dynamics of the cumulative effect of these
conditions among recent Latinx immigrants (RLI). The proposed study will examine the interrelatedness and
interactive effects of pre and post immigration stress, trauma, depressive symptoms and alcohol misuse
among young adult RLI while considering the role of traditional gender roles. To address this objective, a
cross-sectional secondary data analysis will be conducted using baseline data from a NIAAA funded
longitudinal study examining drinking and driving trajectories of N= 540 (N= 271 males and N= 269 females)
young adult RLI between the ages of 18-34 (M=27.46, SD=5.01) who immigrated to South Florida within the
past 12 months. The proposed research study aims to (1) examine the cumulative effects of pre-migration
stress/trauma and post-immigration stressors on the depressive symptoms and alcohol use severity of young
adult RLI in the U.S., (2) evaluate if gender has a moderating effect on the aforementioned associations, (3)
test if these conditions demonstrate to be a syndemic factor, and (4) determine the association between
adherence to traditional Latinx gender roles and this proposed syndemic factor. The central hypothesis is that
greater levels of pre-migration stress/trauma and post-immigration stressors will be positively associated with
post-immigration depressive symptoms and alcohol use severity, and this association will be moderated by
gender. Additionally, a single syndemic factor will explain the covariance between these conditions and greater
adherence to Latinx traditional gender roles will be positively associated with this syndemic factor. The
proposed research questions will be tested by employing hierarchical multiple regression (HMR), moderation
analyses, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). A strong mentorship
team has been assembled with training activities designed to enhance the applicant’s knowledge and skills in
the following areas: (1) alcohol use, trauma, gender roles, and mental health outcomes among recent Latinx
immigrants, (2) quantitative data analytic techniques in epidemiological studies, (3) responsible conduct of
research, and (4) professional development skills related to alcohol use research (grant and manuscript writing
and conference presentations). The proposed research and training experience will successfully position the
applicant towards becoming an independent researcher specializing in alcohol use in minority populations and
provide essential skills to help her successfully compete for a post-doctoral research position.