Acculturation, acculturative stress, and tobacco/nicotine use of Latin American immigrants

Objective US Hispanics have several health disparities, greater tobacco/nicotine-related illnesses, lower access to smoking cessation, and lower rates of cessation. Understanding cultural constructs linked to tobacco/nicotine use may provide a greater understanding of future cultural adaptations of cessation interventions. This study used a multidimensional acculturation framework, with cultural practices, identity, and values, to test links between measures of acculturation stress, multidimensional acculturation (language-based enculturation and acculturation, cultural identity, familism), and tobacco/nicotine use, and interactions with gender. Design Participants were 391 adult Latin American immigrants (69% women); 12% self-reported tobacco/nicotine use in the past six months. Results Path analysis showed acculturative stress, beta = .16, and acculturation, beta = .20, were positively related to tobacco/nicotine use. Enculturation, familism, and Hispanic cultural identity were not related to tobacco/nicotine use. There were no significant acculturation by enculturation or gender interactions, but women were less likely to use tobacco/nicotine than men, beta = -.36. Conclusion Findings suggest that tobacco/nicotine cessation interventions for Latino immigrants may be enhanced with an emphasis on the mitigation of acculturative stress, attention to the adoption of US cultural practices, and gender. Future research should examine specific sources of acculturative stress or social norms related to tobacco/nicotine use.