Examining the impact of acculturative stress on body image disturbance among Hispanic college students.

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of acculturative stress on psychological well-being and body image disturbance in a sample of female and male Hispanic individuals. The unique protective effects of differing social support sources, including family and peer support, were examined against acculturative stress and body image disturbance. A total of 399 participants of Hispanic origin were recruited from Texas Tech University in West Texas. Students completed a battery of measures of acculturative stress and internalization of the thin ideal, as well as perceived social support. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that acculturative stress is a significant positive predictor of body image disturbance among Hispanic college students. Thin ideal internalization was found to mediate this relationship such that acculturative stress was associated with heightened body image disturbance through its impact on thin ideal internalization. Social support significantly reduced acculturative stress as well as body image disturbance but did not moderate the relation between these 2 factors. Results highlight the importance of considering acculturative stress as a strong predictor of body image disturbance among college students of Hispanic origin. The mechanisms of influence of acculturative stress on body image disturbance are discussed in relation to thin ideal internalization. The protective role of social support on these negative psychological outcomes is also clarified. This study is the first to examine these issues in a sample of female and male Hispanic college students and provides avenues for clinical interventions and future trials with diverse populations.

Drinking and Driving among Recent Latino Immigrants: The Impact of Neighborhoods and Social Support

“…Less time in the U.S. has been associated with decreased social ties among Latino immigrants [33]. However, social support has been found to be an important mitigating factor in buffering acculturative stress among Latino immigrants [34]. Investment in social relations facilitates the flow of information [35], making the acculturation process less difficult and stressful.…”

Body image dissatisfaction among immigrant children and adolescents in Canada and the United States: A scoping review

“…In addition, one of the sources used a proxy measure (years lived in the US) to assess acculturation, which has been criticized in conjunction with immigrant generational status for being insensitive to the capturing of the attitudinal and behavioral change processes implicit in the acculturation experience . Emerging literature among immigrant and ethnic‐minority adults supports the further exploration of the behavioral and psychological domains of acculturation—particularly acculturative stress . Only by paying appropriate attention to these constructs can we adequately disaggregate the extent to which aspects of the immigrant experience exacerbate or attenuate the risk for BID and eating disorders among immigrant children and adolescents.…”

“…In addition, recent work has suggested that the stress associated with acculturation ( acculturative stress ) can place immigrants at greater risk for BID and eating disorder concerns. Specifically, the perception that one needs to conform to the body expectations of a particular culture in order to “fit‐in” may create a heightened vulnerability for the internalization of sociocultural pressures for weight and shape, which may increase the risk for BID . However, the extent to which acculturation and acculturative stress have been examined in relation to BID among immigrant children and adolescents is unclear.…”

Low body mass and ethnic identity exploration exacerbate the association between body image concerns and loss of control eating in Hispanic/Latino men

“…These patterns of results, referred to as the immigrant paradox , are also present in Hispanic/Latino populations (Alarcón et al, ). For example, Hispanic/Latino men and women who are more acculturated are more likely to be diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder (Coll & Marks, ), to endorse LOC eating (Alegria et al, ), and to have greater body image concerns (Menon & Harter, ), and a higher BMI (Delavari, Sønderlund, Swinburn, Mellor, & Renzaho, ). Acculturation‐related stressors relevant to body image concerns and LOC eating may include Western appearance ideals that value thinness and muscularity (Schaefer et al, ).…”