Discrimination and Latino Health: A Systematic Review of Risk and Resilience

Abstract

Introduction: As anti-immigrant hostility toward Latino populations grows, more fervent attention is needed to consider strength-based approaches to attenuate the effects of perceived discrimination. This systematic review synthesizes the evidence about the effects of racial/ethnic discrimination on mental, physical, and health behaviors of Latinos and examines the coping mechanisms and cultural factors that attenuate the negative association between discrimination and health among adult Latinos living in the United States.

Method: The search criteria included articles that (a) examined ethnic/racial discrimination in relationship to a health outcome, (b) had study samples composed of least 25% Latino adults, and (c) were written in English.

Results: A total of 33 studies were included in the review. Our findings demonstrated the negative relationship between perceived discrimination, mental health, and health behaviors. The evidence for the relationship between perceived discrimination and physical health was less robust. For mental health, greater feeling of ethnic pride and belonging attenuated the negative relationship between perceived discrimination and mental health.

Conclusions: Our findings highlight the potential for building on ethnic identity for addressing mental health and perceived discrimination. Future research directions are outlined to address identified gaps.

Keywords: Latino; ethnic identity; health behavior; mental health; perceived discrimination.