title: Effects of acculturation on prenatal anxiety among Latina women.
abstract: Anxiety in pregnancy has been associated with adverse birth outcomes. Relatively few studies have investigated how acculturation affects mental health in pregnancy among Latinas. The goal of this study was to determine if acculturation was associated with anxiety over the course of pregnancy in a sample of predominantly Puerto Rican women. Women were recruited in pregnancy for participation in Proyecto Buena Salud, a prospective cohort study of Latina women (n = 1412). Acculturation was measured via the Psychological Acculturation Scale (PAS), language preference and generation in the USA. Anxiety was measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Instrument. Linear and logistic multivariable regressions were used to investigate associations. After adjustment, women with bicultural identification had significantly lower trait anxiety scores in early pregnancy (β = -3.62, SE = 1.1, p < 0.001) than low acculturated women. Women with higher levels of acculturation as indicated by English-language preference (β = 1.41, SE = 0.7, p = 0.04) and second or third generation in the USA had significantly higher trait anxiety scores in early pregnancy (β = 1.83, SE = 0.6, p < 0.01). Bicultural psychological acculturation was associated with lower trait anxiety in early pregnancy, while English-language preference and higher generation in the USA were associated with higher trait anxiety in early pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal Street, Suite 2000, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA. barcelonaveronica@yahoo.com.|Yale University School of Nursing, 400 West Campus Drive, Orange, CT, 06477, USA. barcelonaveronica@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Barcelona de Mendoza
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal Street, Suite 2000, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Harville
authors.affiliation: Department of Global Community Health and Behavioral Science, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal Street, Suite 2000, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA.
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Theall
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 1440 Canal Street, Suite 2000, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Buekens
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Massachusetts School of Public Health and Health Sciences, 405 Arnold House, 715 N Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chasan-Taber
mesh_terms: D000069:Acculturation; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care; D011647:Puerto Rico / Q000208:ethnology; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Acculturation; Anxiety; Hispanic; Latino; Pregnancy