Department of Kinesiology & Health Education, College of Education, University of Texas at Austin, United States.
Department of Kinesiology & Health Education, College of Education, University of Texas at Austin, United States.
Int J Drug Policy. 2022 Aug;106:103754. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103754. Epub 2022 Jun 7.
The role of immigration policies as political determinants of health among US-born Latinos is significantly understudied. Immigration policies can produce immigration-related stressors that have 'spill over' effects on the health behaviors of US-born Latinos. However, less is known about how immigration-related stressors relate to substance misuse among US-born Latinos.
1,784 US-born Latinos were recruited via web-panels in September 2021 to complete an online questionnaire. Inclusion criteria included: (1) self-identifying as Latino; (2) born in the US; and (3) being 18 years of age or older. Participants were asked 14-items related to immigration-related stressors and past-year substance use behaviors. Dependent variables included past-year: heavy drinking, high intensity drinking, illicit drug use, prescription drug misuse, cannabis use, cocaine use, methamphetamine use, prescription sedative misuse, and prescription opioid misuse. Two separate multivariable logistic regression models were conducted for each outcome to investigate associations between (1) specific immigration-related stressors and substance misuse; and (2) experiencing greater (vs. fewer) number of immigration-related stressors and substance misuse.
On average, US-born Latinos reported experiencing 3 immigration-related stressors. In multivariable analyses, being fearful or worried about being detained for immigration reasons was associated with increased odds of engaging in heavy drinking, high intensity drinking, and illicit drug use. Having ever feared or worried about being potentially deported for immigration reasons and having ever witnessed or experienced an immigration raid was associated with high intensity drinking. Parental detentions and deportations in childhood were independently associated with high intensity drinking, illicit drug use, and prescription drug misuse. Notably, greater number of immigration-related stressor experiences increased the odds of substance misuse.
Punitive immigration and enforcement policies give rise to multiple stressors that may render US-born Latinos vulnerable to misusing substances as a way of coping. Policies and public health interventions aimed at preventing and treating substance misuse should consider how immigration policies impact the behaviors of US-born Latinos.
美国出生的拉丁裔人群的健康状况受到移民政策的显著影响，但这一现象在很大程度上仍未得到研究。移民政策会产生与移民相关的压力源，这些压力源会对美国出生的拉丁裔人群的健康行为产生“溢出效应”。然而，我们对于与移民相关的压力源如何与美国出生的拉丁裔人群的物质滥用相关知之甚少。
2021 年 9 月，通过网络面板招募了 1784 名美国出生的拉丁裔人，以完成在线问卷。纳入标准包括：（1）自我认同为拉丁裔；（2）出生于美国；（3）年满 18 岁。参与者被问及与移民相关的压力源和过去一年物质使用行为相关的 14 个项目。因变量包括过去一年：重度饮酒、高强度饮酒、非法药物使用、处方药滥用、大麻使用、可卡因使用、冰毒使用、处方镇静剂滥用和处方阿片类药物滥用。为每个结果分别进行了两项多变量逻辑回归模型，以调查（1）特定的移民相关压力源与物质滥用之间的关联；以及（2）经历更多（与更少）的移民相关压力源与物质滥用之间的关联。
平均而言，美国出生的拉丁裔人报告经历了 3 种移民相关的压力源。在多变量分析中，因移民原因而被拘留或担心被拘留的可能性与重度饮酒、高强度饮酒和非法药物使用的几率增加有关。曾因移民原因而担心或担心被驱逐出境，以及曾目睹或经历过移民突袭，与高强度饮酒有关。童年时期父母被拘留和驱逐出境与高强度饮酒、非法药物使用和处方药滥用独立相关。值得注意的是，更多的移民相关压力源经历增加了物质滥用的几率。
惩罚性的移民和执法政策引发了多种压力源，这可能使美国出生的拉丁裔人容易滥用物质作为应对方式。旨在预防和治疗物质滥用的政策和公共卫生干预措施应考虑移民政策如何影响美国出生的拉丁裔人群的行为。
