title: Social integration and health: community involvement, stigmatized identities, and sexual risk in Latino sexual minorities.
abstract: The purpose of this study is to contribute to the conceptual understanding and practical application of social integration theory to health behaviors. We test whether community involvement in AIDS and GLBT organizations moderates the relationship of racial and homosexual stigmata to sexual risk behavior among gay and bisexual men and transgender persons of Latin American origin or descent. We use structural equation modeling to analyze data from a sample of 643 individuals recruited via respondent-driven sampling. Among those not involved in community organizations, homosexual and racial stigmata are related to sexual activity under the influence of alcohol and drugs, which is linked to sexual risk behavior. Among the involved group, the stigmata are not linked to sexual activity under the influence of alcohol and drugs, or to sexual risk behavior. The moderating role of community involvement seems to be more salient in those currently involved than those ever involved.
authors.affiliation: University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health, 1603 W.Taylor (M/C 923), Chicago, IL 60612, USA. valles@uic.edu
authors.forename: Jesus
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ramirez-Valles
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Kuhns
authors.forename: Richard T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: Rafael M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Diaz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002641:Chicago; D003153:Community Health Services; D015658:HIV Infections; D015438:Health Behavior; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012495:San Francisco; D013240:Stereotyping; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D047568:Unsafe Sex; D055815:Young Adult