Role of bicultural stress in sexual risk behavior among Hispanic immigrant youth

Immigrant youth may face stressors associated with adapting to a new culture which may lead to high risk behaviors. Few studies have analyzed the role that bicultural stress plays in risky sexual behavior among Hispanic immigrant youth. We use data from a longitudinal survey conducted with recent immigrant Hispanic youth in Miami and Los Angeles to test whether bicultural stress is associated with two sexual risk behaviors: initiation of sex and inconsistent condom use. Hispanic youth who had moved to the U.S. within the past 5 years were recruited from public schools in Miami and Los Angeles when they were in the 9th grade. They completed a baseline survey and a 6-month follow-up survey. We estimated bivariate and multiple logistic regression models to test whether bicultural stress is associated with our two outcomes measures at follow-up. The sample included 303 male and female youth, aged 13 to 17 (N=153 in Miami and N=150 in Los Angeles). At follow-up, 23% of participants reported ever having had vaginal, anal or oral sex. Of those reporting past sex, 38% reported ever having vaginal or anal sex without a condom. In bivariate analysis, higher bicultural stress was associated with higher odds of reporting ever having sex (p<.05) and ever not using a condom (p<.05). These relationships persisted after controlling for age, sex and site of interview. Bicultural stress may be a factor underlying sexual risk behaviors among Hispanic immigrant youth. Those designing health programs for Hispanic immigrant youth might screen youth for bicultural stress.