Why are Hispanic immigrants healthier when they arrive in the United States than they are after they have lived here for a lengthier period of time? Rosa Gonzalez-Guarda, PhD, MPH, RN, CPH, FAAN, associate professor at Duke University School of Nursing is continuing to examine that question.
Through her previous work, Gonzalez-Guarda identified acculturation stress as the most important social determinant of risk behaviors among Hispanic immigrants. However, in a recent $3.4 million grant awarded from the National Institute on Minority Health Disparities, she is extending her research to the role of stress and resilience in the Durham, NC, area Hispanic immigrant population.
The study: Salud/Health, Estrés/Stress, and Resiliencia/Resilience Among Young Adult Hispanics Immigrants in the U.S., will examine the role that multiple acculturation stressors and resilience factors at the individual, family and community levels play in the decay or maintenance of health among young adult Hispanic immigrants between 18-44 years old. The study will help identify which types of stressors matter most, as well as help explain how resilience factors including coping strategies, family support and community connections protect and buffer this population against the behavioral/mental health and biological consequences of stress.
Working with a team that includes community leaders, experts in cultural specific measurement and approaches, and a bench scientist with expertise in measuring stress biomarkers, Gonzalez-Guarda has already immersed herself in the local Hispanic community to begin her research.
The team will follow research participants over a two-year period. They will visit participants every six months to collect blood and urine samples and collect self-reported data using validated and culturally specific measures. The team will also measure co-occurring behavioral and mental health conditions including substance abuse, intimate partner violence, risky sexual behaviors, depression as well as stress biomarkers including chronic inflammation and oxidative stress.
“We hope to help to identify which types of acculturation stressors and resilience factors are most important in influencing health and well-being among young adult Hispanic immigrants” says Gonzalez-Guarda. “The findings of this study are helping inform tailored interventions to prevent the health consequences of stress and promote resilience among young adult Hispanic immigrants. They also have important implications for health and social service providers, as well as policy makers."