Discrimination and health: how being Hispanic can make you sick

Abstract

The perception of discrimination is a stressor that can lead to a reduction in an individual's reserve capacity and an increase in negative emotions, among other deleterious effects. I tested the Reserve Capacity Model as it relates to measures of physical and mental-health related quality of life. A sample of 236 Hispanic Americans completed measures of perceived discrimination, optimism, social support, and symptoms of trait anxiety. Path analysis was used to examine relationships between these variables and the outcome variables of physical and mental health-related quality of life. Results indicated direct and negative relationships between perceptions of discrimination and physical and mental health-related quality of life (r = -.18, p < .05; r = -.36, p < .001, respectively). Both these relationships were partially mediated by reserve capacity and negative emotions (χ² [6] = 16.26, p < .05;χ² /df = 2.70; CFI = .95; RMSEA = .08).