April 4-6, 2024 • Hyatt Regency • Lexington, KY
Innovations in Health Communication
Innovations in Health Communication
Abstract: Exploring the Relationships between Social Determinants, Personal Lifestyle Choices, and Mental Health in Black and Hispanic Men
Mental health disparities represent a pressing concern in the United States. Racial/ethnic minorities are more likely to experience more severe and persistent mental disorders than their White counterparts (Cook et al., 2019). While the social ecological model has been widely used to explore these disparities, little attention was given to revealing the links between community- and intrapersonal-level factors and mental health among Black and Hispanic populations.
Numerous empirical studies have suggested that social determinants and sociodemographic characteristics are associated with mental health outcomes (Cook et al., 2019). For example, factors such as poverty (Amroussia et al., 2017; Williams & Jackson, 2005), housing status (Pevalin et al., 2017; Primm et al., 2010; Rollings et al., 2017), and neighborhood environment (Gomez & Muntaner, 2005) have been linked to mental health status. Besides, daily discrimination among racial/ethnic minorities has been shown to contribute to poor mental health outcomes (Cook et al., 2019; Jones et al., 2008), including increased depressive symptoms (Wong et al., 2017) and anxiety (Khan et al., 2017). However, it's important to note that the relationships between social determinants and mental health outcomes may vary across different populations. While poverty has been consistently linked to higher levels of poor mental health (Ridley et al., 2020; Xiao et al., 2017), a study has found that among Latino men, a higher income is associated with a greater likelihood of being diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (Ai et al., 2015).
In addition to social determinants, personal lifestyle choices also play a significant role in mental health outcomes. For instance, research has shown that using dating applications is associated with increased levels of depression and anxiety (Freire et al., 2023; Holtzhausen et al., 2020). Furthermore, individuals engaged in risky sexual behavior may experience poor mental health (Jin et al., 2021), as evidenced by studies linking non-use of condoms with higher levels of depression and anxiety (Karle et al., 2023) and high numbers of sexual partners with higher scores in depression and anxiety for male participants (Agardh et al., 2012).
We conducted a behavioral survey on Black and Hispanic men living in the predominantly Black and/or Hispanic neighborhoods in the greater Los Angeles area (N = 189, mean age = 22.83). The recruitment happened from December 2021 to October 2022 via ads on Twitter and Instagram. Regression analyses were performed to understand the links between social determinants (i.e., finance situation, housing status, neighborhood environment, and discrimination) and personal lifestyle choices (i.e., dating application use and risky sexual behaviors) and mental health indicators (i.e., depression, social anxiety, and life satisfaction). The model results suggested that higher depression scores are significantly associated with poor neighborhood quality, unstable housing situation, higher levels of discrimination, and less likelihood to engage in non-use of condoms during the most recent sexual intercourse. Additionally, higher levels of social anxiety, including both online and offline, were significantly linked to increased levels of discrimination. As for life satisfaction, the findings suggested that social determinants played an influential role in achieving a more satisfying life. Higher scores in life satisfaction were significantly associated with a better neighborhood environment, stable housing, and good financial situation.
Numerous empirical studies have suggested that social determinants and sociodemographic characteristics are associated with mental health outcomes (Cook et al., 2019). For example, factors such as poverty (Amroussia et al., 2017; Williams & Jackson, 2005), housing status (Pevalin et al., 2017; Primm et al., 2010; Rollings et al., 2017), and neighborhood environment (Gomez & Muntaner, 2005) have been linked to mental health status. Besides, daily discrimination among racial/ethnic minorities has been shown to contribute to poor mental health outcomes (Cook et al., 2019; Jones et al., 2008), including increased depressive symptoms (Wong et al., 2017) and anxiety (Khan et al., 2017). However, it's important to note that the relationships between social determinants and mental health outcomes may vary across different populations. While poverty has been consistently linked to higher levels of poor mental health (Ridley et al., 2020; Xiao et al., 2017), a study has found that among Latino men, a higher income is associated with a greater likelihood of being diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (Ai et al., 2015).
In addition to social determinants, personal lifestyle choices also play a significant role in mental health outcomes. For instance, research has shown that using dating applications is associated with increased levels of depression and anxiety (Freire et al., 2023; Holtzhausen et al., 2020). Furthermore, individuals engaged in risky sexual behavior may experience poor mental health (Jin et al., 2021), as evidenced by studies linking non-use of condoms with higher levels of depression and anxiety (Karle et al., 2023) and high numbers of sexual partners with higher scores in depression and anxiety for male participants (Agardh et al., 2012).
We conducted a behavioral survey on Black and Hispanic men living in the predominantly Black and/or Hispanic neighborhoods in the greater Los Angeles area (N = 189, mean age = 22.83). The recruitment happened from December 2021 to October 2022 via ads on Twitter and Instagram. Regression analyses were performed to understand the links between social determinants (i.e., finance situation, housing status, neighborhood environment, and discrimination) and personal lifestyle choices (i.e., dating application use and risky sexual behaviors) and mental health indicators (i.e., depression, social anxiety, and life satisfaction). The model results suggested that higher depression scores are significantly associated with poor neighborhood quality, unstable housing situation, higher levels of discrimination, and less likelihood to engage in non-use of condoms during the most recent sexual intercourse. Additionally, higher levels of social anxiety, including both online and offline, were significantly linked to increased levels of discrimination. As for life satisfaction, the findings suggested that social determinants played an influential role in achieving a more satisfying life. Higher scores in life satisfaction were significantly associated with a better neighborhood environment, stable housing, and good financial situation.