A latent profile analysis of U.S. undocumented college students’ advocacy communication strategies and its relationship with health

ABSTRACT

Undocumented youth engage in advocacy efforts to improve their social conditions. Deploying an expanded definition of advocacy communication, this study (a) examined the heterogeneity of undocumented collegestudents' advocacy communication by identifying profiles of undocumented college students based on their participation in various advocacy communication strategies and (b) examined how these advocacy profiles are associated with health (i.e. anxiety, depression, and self-rated health). Latent profile analysis of 1277 California undocumented, mostly Latina/o/x, college students identified four profiles. Frequent advocators had lower levels of self-rated health and higher levels of anxiety and depression than infrequent advocators. Media advocators reported higher levels of anxiety and depression than infrequent advocators. Finally, organizational advocators reported lower levels of anxiety than media advocators and frequent advocators. Our study advances research on the relationship between advocacy communication and health. We provide suggestions that university staff and programs can take to support undocumented students' advocacy efforts and health.

KEYWORDS:

• Undocumented college students
• advocacy communication
• health
• mental health
• social movements

Acknowledgements

This study uses survey data collected by the UC Collaborative to Promote Immigrant and Student Equity and the Undocumented Student Equity Project. Thank you to co-investigators Jennifer Nájera, Annie Ro, and Zulema Valdez. Project collaborators who helped with data collection include Karina Chavarria, Basia Ellis, Melissa J. Hagan, Julián Jefferies, Jannet Lara, Martha Morales Hernandez, Enrique Murillo Jr., Carly Offidani-Bertrand, Maria Oropeza Fujimoto, Victoria E. Rodriguez, William Rosales, Heidy Sarabia, Ana K. Soltero López, Mercedes Valadez, and Sharon Velarde Pierce.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Due to the precarious nature of undocumented college students’ immigration status, the data for this research is not currently publicly available.

Additional information

Funding

This study was conducted with the support of funding from the University of California Multicampus Research Programs and Initiatives (grant number: MRI-19-601090), CSU Channel Islands Vice President for Student Affairs, CSU Fresno Kremen School of Education & Human Development, CSU Los Angeles College of Education, CSU Sacramento Center on Race, Immigration, and Social Justice, and San Francisco State University College of Science and Engineering.