Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Acculturation, Psychological Distress, And Smoking In Latinos Living With Hiv/Aids, Jessica Armendariz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In the United States smoking cigarettes is the leading cause of preventable death, and smoking is of particular health concern among people living with HIV. Depression has been consistently linked to smoking in the literature, and data indicate that acculturation to the U.S. is associated with increased depression among Latinos.

This study examined if acculturation moderates the impact of depression on smoking behavior among Latinos living with HIV through the mediating effect of social support. The results may extend to the sociopsychological construct of culture. We studied 300 Latinos who live with HIV on the U.S./Mexico border.

Results demonstrated there …

Sociocultural Influences On Perceived Risk In Latinos At Risk Of Developing Type 2 Diabetes, Allyson S. Hughes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Previous studies have shown that perceived risk is a predictor of positive health behaviors to avert preventative chronic conditions. As a major factor in the Health Belief Model, high levels of perceived risk may operate as a "perceived susceptibility" to disease and may function as a "perceived threat" that triggers action towards preventing the onset of disease (Champion & Skinner, 2008). Following an Ecodevelopmental Model approach in an effort to prevent prediabetes and type 2 diabetes (Castro, Shaibi & Boehm-Smith, 2009) includes understanding the potential protective effects of certain cultural factors (including sources of social support that can promote healthy …