The use of cultural identity in predicting health lifestyle behaviors in Latinx immigrant adolescents.

OBJECTIVES

This study explored whether cultural identity predicts health lifestyle behaviors.

METHOD: Participants included 302 recently immigrated (<5 years in the U.S.) Latinx adolescents (53% boys; mean age 14.51 years at baseline) from Miami and Los Angeles. Participants completed cultural identity measures at baseline and 1-year post baseline. A path analysis was used to estimate associations between cultural identities (ethnic, national, and bicultural) and health lifestyle behaviors (physical activity, diet, and sleep hygiene).

RESULTS

Ethnic identity positively predicted diet. Results also indicated a significant interaction between ethnic and national identity on sleep hygiene. Specifically, when national identity was high (+1 SD), ethnic identity positively predicted sleep hygiene.

CONCLUSION

This study focuses on health lifestyle behaviors such as physical activity, diet, and sleep hygiene in this population. Results highlight the need to explore the protective nature of cultural identity retention in relation to health lifestyle behaviors in Latinx adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).