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Exposure to ethnic discrimination has been conceptualized as a sociocultural stressor that is associated with lower self-rated health. However, this association remains understudied among Hispanics and less is known about constructs that may mitigate the effects of ethnic discrimination on self-rated health. Accordingly, this study aimed to (a) examine the association between ethnic discrimination and self-rated health among Hispanic emerging adults (ages 18-25), and (b) examine the extent to which self-esteem and resilience may moderate this association. A convenience sample of 200 Hispanic emerging adults from Arizona (n=99) and Florida (n=101) was recruited to complete a cross-sectional survey. Data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression and moderation analyses. Results indicate that higher ethnic discrimination was associated with lower self-rated health. Moderation analyses indicated that self-esteem functioned as a moderator that weakened the association between ethnic discrimination and self-rated health; however, resilience did not function similarly as a moderator. This study adds to the limited literature on ethnic discrimination and self-rated health among Hispanics and highlights that psychological factors, such as enhancing self-esteem, may help buffer the adverse effects of ethnic discrimination on health outcomes.

There has recently been growing attention and concern in the U.S. on the detrimental drug use and related health conditions impacting diverse sexual minority populations. While some evidence indicates that bisexual women are at increased risk of substance use, little attention has been given to disadvantaged and racial/ethnic minority bisexual women, who are particularly vulnerable to a complexity of stressors and risk. Using data from a 15-year longitudinal study in San Antonio, Texas, the current study examines drug use, incarceration histories, stressful life events, and infections among 206 young adult Mexican-American women who report engaging in sex with both men and women (WSWM) (n = 61) and those indicating having exclusively male sex partners (WSM) (n = 145). A bivariate analysis finds that WSWM experienced more frequent (p = 0.001) and longer total time incarcerated (p = 0.001), as well as exposure to more stressful life events (p = 0.003). WSWM also have higher rates of past 30 day injection drug use (p = 0.026) and related Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection (p = 0.001), as well as greater symptomatology associated with depression (p = 0.014), PTSD (p = 0.005), and suicidal ideation (p = 0.036). Findings indicate a significantly elevated risk profile for socio-economically marginalized WSWM. This knowledge is timely and central to policy discourse to develop interventions and health campaigns aimed at reducing and/or preventing further health disparities among this highly susceptible population of minority women.

Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) is among the most prevalent sexually transmitted infections in the United States. Despite this, there has been limited research on the correlates to HSV-2 among disadvantaged and marginalized women, particularly among Latinas. Data for the present analysis include 125 young adult Mexican-American women enrolled in a longitudinal study in a disadvantaged urban community in San Antonio, Texas. The current rate of tested HSV-2 infection is 56.8%. Our findings suggest strong comorbidity of genital herpes with injecting heroin use, Hepatitis C, sexual violence, incarceration, and mental illness. Contributing to this population's nexus of risk are the low rates of health service utilization among those infected with HSV-2. Integration between behavioral health and primary care, including access to preventative services, are essential for improving the health of Latinas living in disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Objective: Crack cocaine use has increased rapidly throughout Mexico, along with rising HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections among vulnerable groups. The Tirando Esquina: Interviniendo Muros de Salud (TE:IMS) project uses projection-mapping technology and is the first of its kind to reach and provide health education at an individual and community level to at-risk crack smoking populations in Mexico City. Setting: This intervention project took place in Mexico City. Design: A single-arm design was utilised. Method: The TE:IMS intervention used projection mapping, a community-based art form wherein 3-dimensional (3-D) images, videos and graphics are projected onto buildings in the community. A total of nine projection mapping episodes were projected and health promoters engaged individuals on the street to reinforce messaging and distribute safer crack kits. A sample of persons who use crack (n = 58) were recruited prior to the intervention to complete pretest–posttest evaluation questionnaires. Results: Findings provide evidence of initial effectiveness. Decreases pre- to posttest were found in weekly crack use (p <.05), sharing of paraphernalia (p =.002) and use of cans as pipes (p =.008), while increases were observed in the usage of Pyrex pipes (p =.002). While quantitative HIV knowledge assessments did not increase significantly, qualitative data suggest the intervention made a substantial impact on perceptions and knowledge of HIV among those who interacted with the health promoters and saw the projections. Conclusions: TE: IMS was successful in providing health education and harm reduction strategies at a community level to at-risk crack smoking populations in Mexico City. These findings provide evidence for the initial effectiveness of innovative education and harm reduction efforts in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hispanics are disproportionately affected by substance use and related health harms yet remain underrepresented across scientific disciplines focused on researching and addressing these issues. An interdisciplinary network of scientists committed to fostering the development of social and biomedical researchers focused on Hispanic substance use and health disparities developed innovative mentoring and career development activities. We conducted a formative evaluation study using anonymous membership and conference feedback data to describe specific mentoring and career development activities developed within the national network. Successful mentoring initiatives and career development activities were infused with cultural and community values supportive of professional integration and persistence. Mentoring initially occurred within an annual national conference and was then sustained throughout the year through formal training programs and informal mentoring networks. Although rigorous evaluation is needed to determine the success of these strategies in fostering long-term career development among scientists conducting Hispanic health and substance use research, this innovative model may hold promise for other groups committed to promoting career development and professional integration and persistence for minority (and non-minority) scientists committed to addressing health disparities.

Knowledge about the motivations for crack cocaine use and the long-term effects among people who inject heroin is limited. This study aims to understand motivations associated with this co-use drug pattern among aging men entrenched in established intergenerational heroin subcultures. A sample of 60 men with diverse injecting heroin use histories was recruited from low-income Mexican American urban communities for semi-structured ethnographic interviews using respondent-driven sampling. Qualitative analysis was then employed to provide an in-depth understanding of patterns and motivations of polydrug use among this older population. The men discussed motivations including tolerance, curiosity and experimentation, a paradox of affordability, alternatives to the health hassles and stigma, and the cross-fertilization of drug markets. Concurrent and switching use patterns were primarily reported among those seeking a new or different high, while replacement patterns were reported by men in methadone treatment or by those who had tired of injection. Findings translate to the on-going opioid crisis and the emerging trend in polysubstance use involving crack cocaine, methamphetamine and other psychostimulants among people who use heroin. More research is needed to investigate the full range of social and health consequences associated with these co-use patterns. Targeted and tailored prevention and treatment services are essential to improve outcomes among aging Mexican American men who use heroin and other persons with similar polydrug use patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite growing research on women's offending trajectories, knowledge on the imprisonment experiences of women who are mothers is limited. This study used a nationally representative dataset of state and federal prisoners to identify and characterize subgroups of mothers based on incarceration histories. Group-based trajectory modeling identified four groups with distinct incarceration trajectories: stable escalating group, moderate declining group, adolescence-peak group, and young-adulthood-peak group. Bivariate analyses then suggested that different incarceration trajectories were associated with adverse life experiences (i.e., foster care placement, sexual abuse experience) and confinement experiences (i.e., number of episodes of prison confinement). Discussed are the future research directions and implications for criminal justice policies and interventions targeting imprisoned mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There exists an extensive theoretical discourse regarding Social Disorganization Theory about the presence or lack of social control in marginalized poor communities. Mexico City’s colonias populares, or informal housing settlements, are an important case in point given the chaotic, ungovernable, social disorder that is perceived by outsiders. In the present ethnographic study, we applied Suttles’ (1968) concept of social order with the intention to identify and understand the social processes by which relationships between criminal networks and conventional residents contribute to a cohesive community social structure. Using interview and observational data collected throughout five years, the findings support a social system defined by an ordered segmentation that facilitates inclusion and social solidarity among diverse residents. Through commercial, recreational, and religious celebrations, a practical morality emerged that governed social interactions among residents in this impoverished neighborhood at the periphery of society. Practical morality is exemplified by the relationships within a community connected by neighborhood-based networks, rather than formal institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use a risk environment framework to qualitatively examine pathways into substance use and abuse among Mexican female sex workers on the U.S.-Mexico border. Life history interviews and ethnographic observations were conducted with female sex workers to uncover how the border context shapes patterns of substance use. The findings illustrate that, for many women, initiation into sex work is contextualized within immigration, the global economy, and demands and desire for financial autonomy. Paradoxically, many find autonomy within sex work as they increase their ability to support their families and themselves. As women become more entrenched in sex work, however, they are put on a path toward substance abuse beginning with alcohol then cocaine and heroin. This identification of specific substance use pathways and trajectories has important implications for the development of prevention and intervention programs that can help curtail problematic drug use that can lead to negative health consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research has documented crack cocaine’s increasing spread in Mexico, which is likely to contribute to the rapid transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). In Mexico, crack use is increasing most rapidly in vulnerable, hard-to-reach populations, where little is known about risk behaviors. This report aims to present baseline data regarding HIV and STI knowledge and testing prevalence from an innovative projection mapping HIV intervention, in which 3-D illusions, animation, and visual text graphics and sound are projected onto buildings with health messages that were designed to disrupt everyday life and connect with the target population. Fifty-eight men and women who used crack in the past month without receiving drug treatment were recruited and interviewed before the projection mapping intervention took place. Testing instruments included a sociodemographic assessment, drug use and treatment profile, HIV and STI knowledge questionnaires, and a sex and drug risk assessment. The mean scores for respondents on the HIV Knowledge Questionnaire (10.5 out of 18, 58.3%) and STD Knowledge Questionnaire (9.5 out of 27, 35.2%) were both low. Respondents also reported high rates of sexual risk behaviors, with 73% reporting never using a condom and 64% never being tested for HIV. This report provides a portrait of STI and HIV risk among a vulnerable population in Mexico City and the need for urgent interventions to prevent the spread of STIs and HIV. The associated projection mapping intervention will seek to increase HIV and STI knowledge and reduce risk in this hard-to-reach population. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]