Cross-Addiction Risk Profile Associations with COVID-19 Anxiety: a Preliminary Exploratory Study.

"Cross-addiction" involves a person substituting one form of addictive behaviour for another. Indeed, cross-additive presentations have been frequently described (e.g. from drugs to alcohol, gambling to sex), and risk profiles have been assumed. Nevertheless, there has been a dearth of evidence considering the occurrence of cross-addiction risk profiles in the community. This research is imperative for informing effective prevention/intervention policies, especially under anxiety-provoking conditions, such as the current coronavirus pandemic. To address this need, a cross-sectional exploratory research design was utilized, with quantitative survey data obtained from 968 respondents (18-64; M age = 29.5 years, SD = 9.36), who completed an online survey regarding a range of addictive behaviours (i.e. abuse of alcohol, drug, smoking, online gaming, shopping, internet, exercise, online gambling, sex, and social media) and their anxiety about the coronavirus. Latent class/profiling analyses were implemented to (a) explore profiles of cross-addiction risk, (b) describe the characteristics and the proportions of these profiles, and (c) identify their differential associations with the pandemic precipitated anxiety. Findings revealed two distinct profiles/types, the "cross-addiction low risk" (57.4%) and the "cross-addiction high risk" (42.6%). Those in the latter scored consistently higher across all behaviours assessed, were more likely to suffer from concurrent addictive problems, and reported significantly higher levels of pandemic-related anxiety. Implications for prevention, assessment, and treatment and future research are discussed.

Immigration Stress among Recent Latino Immigrants: The Protective Role of Social Support and Religious Social Capital.

Religious institutions can be a source of support for recent Latino immigrants struggling to adjust to a new culture. For undocumented immigrants, who are often marginalized from other formal institutions, they may symbolize a place of refuge and hope through supportive social networks that mitigate common challenges such as social isolation and other forms of immigration stress. This cross-sectional study examined the impact of religious social capital and social support on immigration stress among documented and undocumented recent Latino immigrants (N = 408). Religious social capital was associated with higher levels of social support, while social support was protective against immigration stress. Social support mediated associations between religious social capital and immigration stress, but only among undocumented immigrants. Findings suggest religious social capital may be a particularly useful resource for undocumented immigrants, aiding in the provision of social support and in decreasing levels of immigration stress. Future research directions and implications for culturally tailored service delivery are presented.

Exploring problematic internet use among non-latinx black and latinx youth using the problematic internet use questionnaire-short form (PIUQ-SF).

Non-Latinx black and Latinx youth have reported more frequent Internet use compared to White youth, yet problematic Internet use among these groups of youth remains underexplored. This study aimed to validate the Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire-Short Form (PIUQ-SF) and investigate the characteristics of problematic Internet use among non-Latinx black and Latinx youth. Cross-sectional data were collected from a convenience sample of 235 high school students in Southeastern Florida (Mean Age = 16.1; 69.2% non-Latinx black; 27.4% Latinx). Psychometric analyses supported the reliability and construct validity of the PIUQ-SF among non-Latinx black and Latinx youth. Latent profile analyses revealed that 37.2% of non-Latinx black youth and 25.4% of Latinx youth were identified as having problematic Internet use. Multivariate regression analyses revealed that less parental monitoring was linked to higher levels of problematic Internet use among non-Latinx black and Latinx youth. Further, sleep problems were positively related to problematic Internet use among non-Latinx black youth. The present findings provide insight into the problematic Internet use among these understudied minority groups in the literature and have important implications for research and practice with non-Latinx black and Latinx youth.

Validation of the electronic cigarette attitudes survey (ECAS) for youth.

Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use among adolescents has rapidly increased in recent years, especially among Latinx and non-Latinx Black adolescents. Yet, limited research exists on adolescent attitudes that may contribute to the popularity of these products. This is in part due to the lack of measures focused on assessing adolescent attitudes towards e-cigarette use. The aim of this study was to develop a measure of adolescent e-cigarette use attitudes. The sample consisted mainly of Latinx and non-Latinx Black adolescents. Data were collected from 247 youth (M age = 16.0, SD = 1.2), 63.6% were girls, a majority (69.2%) were non-Latinx Black, and 27.1% were Latinx. The Electronic Cigarette Attitudes Survey (ECAS) is comprised of 12 items reflecting attitudes associated with e-cigarettes, which were derived from prior theoretical, quantitative, and qualitative work with e-cigarette users. To determine the factor structure, a parallel analysis scree plot and an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of the ECAS was conducted using half of the sample chosen at random (n = 113). Results supported a one-factor solution. A confirmatory factory analysis (CFA) was conducted on the other randomly chosen half of participants (n = 121). Results confirm a one-factor solution. No significant differences were found on ECAS scores based on race/ethnicity or e-cigarette use status (lifetime e-cigarette use vs. no use). The ECAS represents a viable measure for assessing e-cigarette attitudes among youth.

A Brief Report: Lessons Learned and Preliminary Findings of Progreso en Salud, an HIV Risk Reduction Intervention for Latina Seasonal Farmworkers.

Throughout the past decade, HIV rates in Florida-particularly South Florida, where many Latina seasonal farmworkers reside and work-have ranked among the highest in the nation. In this brief report, we delineate important lessons learned and preliminary findings from the implementation of the HIV prevention intervention Progreso en Salud (Progress in Health). Among the 114 Latina seasonal farmworker participants, there were significant increases from baseline to 6-month follow-up in the percentages of overall condom use, HIV testing, HIV/AIDS-related communications with friends, HIV knowledge, condom use self-efficacy, and correct use of condoms. Lessons learned from this study can be used to inform future HIV intervention strategies to improve the adoption and maintenance of HIV risk reduction behaviors among high-risk Latina seasonal workers and other high-risk underserved populations. Future research is needed to support our findings.