141st APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
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Online Program

284142
Immigration, condom use and social capital among recent Latino immigrants in south Florida: A longitudinal study


Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Elena Cyrus, MPH, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatisticss, Florida International University, Robert Stempel School of Public Health and Social Work, Miami, FL
Mariana Sanchez, Ph.D., Center for Research on U.S. Latino HIV/AIDS and Drug Abuse (CRUSADA), Florida International University, Miami, FL
Patria Rojas, PhD, Center for Research on U.S Latino HIV/AIDS and Drug Abuse, Florida International University, Miami, FL
Mario De La Rosa, PhD, Center for Research on U.S. Latino HIV/AIDS and Drug Abuse (CRUSADA), Florida International University, Miami, FL
Background:Immigration can cause individuals to experience a decrease in social capital in the host country, and simultaneously, to engage more in high-risk sexual behavior. A longitudinal study was conducted to explore these changes in recent Latino immigrants from pre-immigration to 2 years post-immigration. Methods:Data from 479 participants ages 18-39 who recently immigrated (within 12 months)were examined. A total social capital score as well as 5 social capital subcategories scores (family, friends, group membership, business and agency utilization) were obtained. Participants responded on a likert scale of vaginal and anal condom use (0=never, 1=less than half the time, 2=half the time, 3=more than half the time, 4=always). Univariate analysis and paired-samples t test were used to evaluate the mean differences. Results: There was a significant decrease in social capital subcategories (p˂.05). The mean for the total social capital score decreased from 18.3 (SD=7.9) to 11.44 (SD=7.8), p<.001). Among females, the mean for vaginal condom use decreased from 1.8 to 1 (p<.05), and the mean for anal condom use decreased from 1.04 to .17 (p<.05). Among males, vaginal condom use decreased from 1.8 to .9 (p<.05), and anal condom use decreased from 1.7 to .54 (p<.001). Conclusions:From pre-immigration to post-immigration there is a significant decrease in social capital among recent Latino immigrants. There is also a significant increase in unprotected sexual acts among both men and women. Immigration in the United States may be a mechanism through which social capital decreases among Latino immigrants, and HIV risk increases.

Learning Areas:

Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Describe the changes in social capital, and vaginal and anal condom use among recent Latino immigrants from pre-immigration to post-immigration into the United States.

Keyword(s): Immigration, HIV Risk Behavior

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a coauthor on the abstract. I have been working with Elena Cyrus on this dataset looking at HIV risk behavior and recent Latino immigrants
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4176.0: Alcohol, Sexuality, HIV and AIDS in Latino communities