Modeling Acculturation Using Latent Class Analysis

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Modeling Acculturation Using Latent Class
Analysis

• Mildred Maldonado-Molina
• Center for Prevention Methodology
• J. Douglas Coatsworth
• Center for Prevention Research

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Substance Use and Acculturation

• Level of acculturation is positively associated
  with substance use.
• Yet, dynamic developmental models examining the
  relationship between changes in acculturation and
  substance use onset have not been investigated.

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Specific Aims

• Trajectories of acculturation profiles over time
• Latent class analysis
• Four times of measurement
• Alternative methodological approach to the study
  of acculturation

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Acculturation was examined as

• Bidimensional construct
• Attachment/preference for host culture and
  culture of origin
• Related but distinct processes
• Latent construct
• Measurement error was assessed and modeled
• Dynamic and developmental process
• Changes in acculturation strategies examined over
  time

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Participants

• 150 females and their mothers
• Targeted at-risk 12 to 14 year-old Latinas
• Four waves of the LATINAS Supportive
  Connections for Growth study (Coatsworth,
  Pantin, McBride, Briones, Kurtines, Szapocznik,
  2000).
• Two years time span (baseline, 6, 12, 24)

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Participants (cont.)

• Daughters
• Years in the U.S. 7.0, (sd4.3)
• 42.7 Nicaragua
• 30.7 United States
• 11.3 Honduras
• 3.3 Cuba
• others

• Mothers
• Years in the U.S. 10.4 (sd6.3)
• 50.7 Nicaragua
• 15.3 Honduras
• 15.3 Cuba
• 4.0 Dominican Republic
• others

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Measures

• Bicultural Involvement Questionnaire (BIQ
  Szapocznik, Kurtines, Fernández, 1980)
• 21 items for each dimension
• How comfortable do you feel? How much do you
  enjoy? I would want
• Language, celebrations (i.e. birthdays and
  weddings), music preferences, food preferences,
  books, TV, etc.
• Composite of items measuring preference/attachment
  for each dimension (21-105)
• Tap the bidimensional nature of the process of
  acculturation in Hispanics (Zane Mak, 2002)

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Acculturation Strategies(Berry, 1980, 1997, 2003)
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Latent class cluster analysis

• Type of statistical model for latent class
  analysis
• Identifies clusters which group together persons
  (cases) who have similar values/characteristics
• Variables may be continuous, categorical (nominal
  or ordinal), and covariates can be included

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Research Questions

• What are the longitudinal patterns of
  acculturation?
• for daughters?
• for mothers?
• do they differ?

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Figure 1. Profile across time for daughters
Culture of origin
Host culture
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Figure 2. Profile across time for mothers
Culture of origin
Host culture
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Results

• Profiles of acculturation patterns differed
  between mothers and daughters.

Daughters

• Mothers

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Discussion

• Alternative methodological approach
• Acculturation is a process that occurs over time
• Cross-sectional designs cannot address changes in
  acculturation status or how changes influence
  adaptation
• Generalizability of the results are constrained
  to the sociopolitical context of city, region or
  nation, and at a given time in history

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Long-term aims

• Examine differences in the prevalence of
  substance use and rates of transitioning across
  acculturation styles.
• Understand the dynamic role of acculturation and
  its relation to substance use onset among Latino
  youth.
• Addressing these issues will inform on potential
  target variables for substance use intervention
  and prevention research.

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Acknowledgments

• The Center for Family Studies, University of
  Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL.
• Department of Human Development and Family
  Studies, Pennsylvania State University,
  University Park, PA.
• The Center for Prevention Methodology, NIDA
  Center Grant

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For more information on this research, please
e-mail Mildred Maldonado-Molina at
maldonado-molina_at_psu.eduhttp//methodology.psu
.edu
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Reference

• Coatsworth, D., Maldonado-Molina, M., Pantin, H.,
  Szapocznik, J. (in press). A person-centered
  and ecological investigation of acculturation
  strategies in Hispanic immigrants. Journal of
  Community Psychology.

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Years in the U.S. daughters
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Years in the U.S. mothers
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Model selection
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Substance Use Onset
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Multivariate vs. Person-centered approach

• Dominated by multivariate models that examine how
  acculturation variables are related to variable
  indicators of adaptation.
• Person-centered approaches may be used as
  complementary approaches to illuminate
  alternative acculturative types and help develop
  a fuller understanding of the acculturation
  process.