Correlates of Health Behaviors and Outcomes among U.S. Latinx Adults

In January 2018, 798 Hispanic/Latino adults living in the United States were recruited through Qualtrics Panels to complete a survey in English or Spanish. Respondents were diverse in their nativity (e.g., 52% Mexican or Mexican American; 17% Puerto Rican; 8.5% Cuban). The survey included the following measures: -Demographic and Health Information – Demographic and Health Data Questionnaire (DHDQ). This researcher-constructed questionnaire is designed to obtain participant information such as: (a) race/ethnicity, (b) age, (c) gender, (d) sexual orientation, (e) relationship status, (f) household income, (g) generational status, (h) education level, (i) presence of chronic health conditions, (j) self-reported height and weight, (k) overall health status, (l) native language and proficient language(s), (m) number of health care visits in the past year, and (n) perceived weight. -Media and Technology Usage and Attitudes Scale (MTUAS). The Media and Technology Usage and Attitudes Scale is a 60-item scale used to measure the frequency of use from specific forms of media and attitudes toward technology (Rosen, Whaling, Carrier, Cheever, & Rokkum, 2013). The scale consists of eleven media usage subscales and four attitude subscales. For the purposes of this study, only the smartphone usage subscale will be included (9 items). Prompts assessing the frequency of technology use stated: “Please indicate how often you do each of the following…” and asked about smartphone usage habits on a scale from 1(Never) to 10 (All the time). Higher scores are indicative of more technology use. The MTUAS was found to show sufficient proof of reliability for smartphone usage subscale (α = .93). Validity has also been shown through comparisons with measures of daily media usage hours, technology-related anxiety, and the Internet Addiction Test (Rosen et al., 2013). -The Sedentary Behavior Questionnaire (SBQ). The Sedentary Behavior Questionnaire is an 18-item scale designed to assess nine different sedentary behaviors including the use of technological devices, hobbies, and sitting due to transportation and work (Rosenberg et al., 2010). The measure is designed to assess sedentary behaviors over weekdays as well as the weekend and then are multiplied to estimate the sum amounts of sedentary hours during a week/weekend. The scale consisted of nine items with answer choices ranging from 1 (None) to 9 (6 hours or more). The current study will slightly alter the SBQ as some of the items may be dated in regards to the technology. An example is “sitting listening to music on the radio, tapes, or CDs.” The examples used in the items will be reflective of sedentary forms of technology used nowadays. The SBQ has been found to be a reliable measure for sedentary behaviors as intraclass correlation coefficients found that the items were sufficient for both weekday (.64-.90) and weekends (.51-.93). Validity of the measure was also sufficient as partial correlations were used to compare the self-reported ratings of the SBQ to accelerometer measures of activity. The study also found that in comparison to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and body mass index, there were significant correlations with both male and female samples (Rosenberg et al., 2010). -PHQ-9- English: The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). The PHQ-9 is a 9-item instrument that measures depressive symptoms (Kroenke, Spitzer, & Williams, 2001). Instructions on the PHQ-9 are as follows: “Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by any of the following problems?” The assessment uses a 4-point Likert-type scale with responses ranging from 0 (not at all) to 3 (nearly every day). Scores for PHQ-9 scale are determined by assigning a score to each response ranging from 0 to 3 and then summing the responses. The PHQ-9 score can range from 0 to 27. Higher scores on the measure indicate higher levels of depressive symptoms. -Health Promoting Behaviors – Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP-II). The HPLP-II is a 52-item inventory designed to measure engagement in behaviors that characterize a health-promoting lifestyle (Walker, Sechrist, Pender, 1995). The HPLPII is comprised of a scale and six subscales, which include Spiritual Growth, Interpersonal Relations, Nutrition, Physical Activity, Health Responsibility, and Stress Management. Only the Nutrition (9 items) and Physical Activity (8 items) subscales will be used for the current study. Instructions on the HPLP-II are to indicate level of engagement in each listed behavior using a Likert-type scale, with responses ranging from 1 (never) to 4 (routinely). Scores for the HPLP-II scale and subscale are determined by calculating means for each. Higher scores on the scale and subscales indicate higher levels of engagement in the assessed health promoting behaviors. The alpha coefficients for internal consistency of the subscales have ranged from .79 - .82 (Walker & HillPolerecky, 1996). -Sleep...