Pfefferbaum B, Adams J, Aceves J
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas Medical School, Houston.
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1990 Jul;29(4):642-7. doi: 10.1097/00004583-199007000-00020.
This study sought to determine if cultural heritage and acculturation influence the perception and expression of pain and anxiety. The study was based on self-report and observation of Anglo and Hispanic children with cancer undergoing invasive procedures. Seventy-eight children between the ages of 3 and 15 participated. Thirty-five were Anglo and 43 were Hispanic. A significant inverse relationship between age and observed and reported distress was noted in both ethnic groups. The Anglo and Hispanic children had remarkably similar behavioral responses. Hispanic parents, however, reported significantly higher levels of anxiety than Anglo parents.
