Annals of Behavioral Medicine
Volume 50, Issue 5, 2016, Pages 692-703

New to New York: Ecological and Psychological Predictors of Health Among Recently Arrived Young Adult Gay and Bisexual Urban Migrants (Article)

Pachankis J.E.* , Eldahan A.I. , Golub S.A.
  • a Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Social and Behavioral Sciences Division, Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
  • b Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Social and Behavioral Sciences Division, Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, United States
  • c Department of Psychology, Hunter College of the City University of New York, New York, NY, United States, Department of Psychology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States

Abstract

Background: Young gay and bisexual men might move to urban enclaves to escape homophobic environments and achieve greater sexual and social freedom, yet little is known about the health risks that these young migrants face. Purpose: Drawing on recent qualitative depictions of gay and bisexual men’s urban ecologies and psychological research on motivation and goal pursuit, we investigated migration-related motivations, experiences, health risks, and their associations among young gay and bisexual men in New York City. Method: Gay and bisexual men (n = 273; ages 18–29) who had moved to New York City within the past 12 months completed an online survey regarding their hometowns, new urban experiences, migration motivations, and health risks. Results: Not having a college degree, HIV infection, hometown stigma, within-US migration, and moving to outside a gay-dense neighborhood were associated with moving to escape stress; hometown structural stigma and domestic migration were associated with moving for opportunity. Migrating from larger US-based hometowns, having recently arrived, and moving for opportunity predicted HIV transmission risk. Social isolation predicted lower drug use but more mental health problems. Higher income predicted lower HIV and mental health risk but higher alcohol risk. Hometown interpersonal discrimination predicted all health risks, but hometown structural stigma protected against drug risk. Conclusion: Findings offer a comprehensive picture of young gay and bisexual male migrants’ experiences and health risks and help build a theory of high-risk migration. Results can inform structural- and individual-level interventions to support the health of this sizeable and vulnerable segment of the urban population. © 2016, The Society of Behavioral Medicine.

Author Keywords

Migration geography Minority stress Urban Stigma Mental health HIV Substance use sexual minority Alcohol use

Index Keywords

minority health HIV Infections sexual behavior Human immunodeficiency virus infection sexual and gender minority motivation mental health human social isolation sexuality Sexual Partners Sexual and Gender Minorities Substance-Related Disorders health status alcoholism drug dependence Young Adult Humans psychology New York Adolescent male adult migration New York City Transients and Migrants
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84964337089&doi=10.1007%2fs12160-016-9794-8&partnerID=40&md5=bffdf26c916e635637d065f9f4be3765
DOI: 10.1007/s12160-016-9794-8
ISSN: 08836612
Cited by: 13
Original Language: English