Stress, Coping, and Health: A Comparison of Mexican Immigrants, Mexican-Americans, and Non-Hispanic Whites

• Published in: Journal of immigrant and minority health 2005-07, Vol.7 (3), p.213-220
• Main Authors: Farley, Tillman, Galves, Al, Dickinson, L. Miriam, de Jesus Diaz Perez, Maria
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acculturation; Adaptation, Psychological; Arthritis; Asthma; Attitude to Health - ethnology; Cardiovascular disease; Chronic illnesses; Citizenship; Comparative analysis; Coping; Cultural Characteristics; Drug abuse; Emigration and Immigration; Emotions; Female; Health care; Health facilities; Health Status; Hispanic Americans; Hispanic Americans - psychology; Hispanic Americans - statistics & numerical data; Hispanic people; Humans; Hypertension; Immigrants; Life Style - ethnology; Male; Medical Services; Mental Health; Mexican Americans; Mexican Americans - psychology; Mexican Americans - statistics & numerical data; Mexico - ethnology; Noncitizens; OTHER ARTICLES; Patients; Physical fitness; Poverty; Principal components analysis; Public Health; Quality of Life; Rural areas; Socioeconomic factors; Spanish Speaking; Statistical analysis; Stress; Stress response; Stress, Psychological - ethnology; Stress, Psychological - prevention & control; Studies; Surveys and Questionnaires; United States - epidemiology; White people; Whites
• ISSN: 1096-4045; 1557-1912; 1573-3629; 1557-1920
• DOI: 10.1007/s10903-005-3678-5

Mexican immigrants, Mexican-Americans, and non-Hispanic white Americans all face different Stressors. Stress-coping strategies may vary for each group as well. We compared relationships among perceived stress, stress-coping strategies, and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in a rural sample of Mexican citizens living in the United States, Mexican-Americans, and non-Hispanic whites. Health-related quality of life and stress-coping styles varied among the three groups. Mexican citizens reported significantly better physical functioning than did non-Hispanic whites or Mexican-Americans. Mexican-Americans reported significantly better mental health functioning than did non-Hispanic whites or Mexican citizens. Mexican citizens were more likely to use positive reframing, denial, and religion, and less likely to use substance abuse and self-distraction, as stress-coping strategies. Stresscoping style may be a potentially modifiable predictor of physical and mental HRQL, and may account for part of the Hispanic health paradox.