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Abstract
In the United States, patients who have Limited English Proficiency (LEP) report having more problems communicating with their children’s doctors (Eneriz-Wieme et al., 2014) and experiencing more discrimination (Zhang et al., 2012) which can lead to increased psychological distress (Torres et al., 2012). The goal of this study was to determine if level of English Proficiency is related to stress levels and discrimination among Latinx parents. Participants consisted of 22 Latinx parents (86.4% Mexican and 90.9% female) in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Acute Stress Appraisals scale (Mendes, et al., 2007) measured parents' stress levels before and after an interview about the parent’s experience taking their children to the doctor. Participants completed a survey that consisted of the Language Fluency Measure (Kim & Chao, 2009), the Adapted Everyday Discrimination Scale (Gonzalez et al., 2016), and demographic questions. Results demonstrated that regardless of Engligh proficency Latinx parents experience discrimination, a communication barrier, and negative feelings when taking their children to the doctor. Parents hope that in the future more interpreters will be available and that doctors will be more understanding. Public health practitioners should use Latinx parents’ aspirations to guide interventions to improve their overall experience taking their children to the doctor.
Department
Psychology
Faculty Advisor
Veronica Fruiht
Publication Date
5-2020
Sponsorship/Conference/Institution
Dominican University of California
City
San Rafael
Keywords
Latinx parents, stress levels, discrimination, Limited English Proficiency
Disciplines
Psychology | Public Health