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Perceived discrimination and health among Puerto Rican and Mexican Americans: Buffering effect of the Lazo matrimonial?

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  • Lee, Min-Ah
  • Ferraro, Kenneth F.

Abstract

An emerging body of research shows that perceived discrimination adversely influences the mental health of minority populations, but is it also deleterious to physical health? If yes, can marriage buffer the effect of perceived discrimination on physical health? We address these questions with data from Puerto Rican and Mexican American residents of Chicago. Multivariate regression analyses reveal that perceived discrimination is associated with more physical health problems for both Puerto Rican and Mexican Americans. In addition, an interaction effect between marital status and perceived discrimination was observed: married Mexican Americans with higher perceived discrimination had fewer physical health problems than their unmarried counterparts even after adjusting for differential effects of marriage by nativity. The findings reveal that perceived discrimination is detrimental to the physical health of both Puerto Rican and Mexican Americans, but that the stress-buffering effect of marriage on physical health exists for Mexican Americans only.

Suggested Citation

  • Lee, Min-Ah & Ferraro, Kenneth F., 2009. "Perceived discrimination and health among Puerto Rican and Mexican Americans: Buffering effect of the Lazo matrimonial?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(11), pages 1966-1974, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:68:y:2009:i:11:p:1966-1974
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Noh, S. & Kaspar, V., 2003. "Perceived discrimination and depression: Moderating effects of coping, acculturation, and ethnic support," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 93(2), pages 232-238.
    2. Craig S. Galbraith & Carlos L. Rodriguez & Curt H. Stiles, 2007. "Social capital as a club good: the case of ethnic communities and entrepreneurship," Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 1(1), pages 38-53, April.
    3. Gee, G.C., 2002. "A multilevel analysis of the relationship between institutional and individual racial discrimination and health status," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 92(4), pages 615-623.
    4. Linda Waite, 1995. "Does marriage matter?," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 32(4), pages 483-507, November.
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    1. Daniel K Cooper & Mayra Bámaca-Colbert & Eric K Layland & Emily G Simpson & Benjamin L Bayly, 2021. "Puerto Ricans and Mexican immigrants differ in their psychological responses to patterns of lifetime adversity," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(10), pages 1-22, October.

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