ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Even though racism is pervasive, some people of color may deny experiencing racial discrimination or may report being unaffected by it. This study examines the contexts and factors that may contribute to these responses among people who use substances. METHODS: We conducted seven focus groups (5-9 participants per group, total N = 43) among Black, Latino, and Asian American adults between the ages of 21 to 44 years old who reported current use of two or more of the following substances: alcohol, cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or cannabis. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Across all three ethno-racial groups, we found some respondents minimized or denied personal experiences of racial discrimination or hesitated to identify their experiences as racial discrimination, which in turn led to respondents to express uncertainty about seeing any sort of connection between racial discrimination and substance use. Themes included a minority comparison effect; a drowning out effect; diversity and racial composition of context; passing as White; and covertness of racism. Also, there were contradictions in accounts, and responses often depended on orienting cues. CONCLUSIONS: While researchers continue to find associations between racial discrimination and substance use, some people of color may not acknowledge this connection. Recommendations include aligning definitions of racism between academic and public/popular discourse; updating measures to keep up with the evolving forms of racism using context-specific examples; combining subjective measures of racial discrimination with objective measures of racism; and dialoguing with the public to raise awareness around how racism is defined.
ABSTRACT
Despite the efficacy and widespread availability of COVID-19 vaccines, vaccine uptake has been relatively low in U.S. Hispanic communities, especially among adolescents. This study examined vaccination status among 444 high school students in predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods of Los Angeles County, California in May-June 2022 (mean age = 15.74 years, 55% female, 93% Hispanic). Guided by Protection Motivation Theory, we hypothesized that the odds of being fully vaccinated (at least 2 vaccine doses) would be significantly associated with higher levels of perceived severity, perceived vulnerability, response efficacy, and self-efficacy. 79% of the respondents were fully vaccinated. Binary logistic regression analyses found that response efficacy (belief in the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine) and self-efficacy to get vaccinated were significantly associated with the likelihood of being fully vaccinated. Perceived severity of COVID-19 and perceived vulnerability to COVID-19 were not associated with the likelihood of being fully vaccinated. Results indicate that health communications are needed to convince Hispanic adolescents and their parents that the COVID-19 vaccine is effective, and outreach efforts are needed to remove barriers to vaccination among this population.
