A multi-study analysis of conceptual and measurement issues related to health research on acculturation in Latinos.
OBJECTIVE
The aims of the study were to evaluate the orthogonality of acculturation for Latinos.


METHODS
Regression analyses were used to examine acculturation in two Latino samples (N = 77; N = 40). In a third study (N = 673), confirmatory factor analyses compared unidimensional and bidimensional models.


METHODS
Acculturation was assessed with the ARSMA-II (Studies 1 and 2), and language proficiency items from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (Study 3).


RESULTS
In Studies 1 and 2, the bidimensional model accounted for slightly more variance (R (2)Study 1 = .11; R (2)Study 2 = .21) than the unidimensional model (R (2)Study 1 = .10; R (2)Study 2 = .19). In Study 3, the bidimensional model evidenced better fit (Akaike information criterion = 167.36) than the unidimensional model (Akaike information criterion = 1204.92).


CONCLUSIONS
Acculturation is multidimensional.


CONCLUSIONS
Care providers should examine acculturation as a bidimensional construct.
Department of Psychology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72761, USA. arandrew@uark.edu
Arthur R
AR
Andrews
Ana J
AJ
Bridges
Debbie
D
Gomez
D000069:Acculturation; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors