Social Science and Medicine
Volume 70, Issue 5, 2010, Pages 677-683

Acculturative and neighborhood influences on subjective social status among Spanish-speaking Latino immigrant smokers (Article)

Reitzel L.R.* , Mazas C.A. , Cofta-Woerpel L. , Vidrine J.I. , Businelle M.S. , Kendzor D.E. , Li Y. , Cao Y. , Wetter D.W.
  • a University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
  • b University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
  • c University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
  • d University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
  • e University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
  • f University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
  • g University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
  • h University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
  • i University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States

Abstract

Subjective social status (SSS) reflects an individual's perception of her/his relative position in the social hierarchy. However, little is known about culturally-relevant, multilevel predictors of low SSS among low socioeconomic status (SES), minority populations. The goal of this study was to identify individual- and neighborhood-level variables predicting SSS among 297 Spanish-speaking Latino immigrant smokers living in several locations in Texas, with an emphasis on the association of SSS with acculturative and socioeconomic variables. Participants were recruited and enrolled through the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service from August 2002 to March 2004. Determinants of SSS were explored using a series of linear regressions. In analyses adjusting for demographics (including objective indicators of SES), speaking Spanish at home and work and living in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods, respectively, were associated with low SSS. However, in analyses including demographics, acculturation, and neighborhood characteristics, only income, education, and acculturation remained associated with SSS. Consistent with results from a previous study in the area (Franzini & Fernandez-Esquer, 2006), less acculturation predicted low SSS among immigrant Latino smokers. However, unlike previous research, these associations were maintained after controlling for SES. Results suggest that the density of less acculturated Latinos within economically deprived neighborhoods might account for the disappearance of neighborhood effects in the final model. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Author Keywords

immigrants Neighborhood Social status Acculturation smoking USA Latinos

Index Keywords

education immigrant regression analysis population density human controlled study language Hispanic Americans neighborhood Residence Characteristics United States income social status Humans smoking Hispanic Minority Groups male Emigrants and Immigrants Acculturation female residential area prediction Socioeconomic Factors socioeconomics cultural factor Latino people Article adult normal human Linear Models Cultural Characteristics social class employment cultural influence Texas immigrant population
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-75849146292&doi=10.1016%2fj.socscimed.2009.11.024&partnerID=40&md5=3e471d4c4ca62ab52e5b1798738a5a95
DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.11.024
ISSN: 02779536
Cited by: 22
Original Language: English