The moderating role of everyday discrimination on the association between post-traumatic stress and loneliness among older Puerto Ricans

Abstract

Objectives

This study examines the relationship between post-traumatic stress and loneliness and whether this relationship varies by perceived everyday discrimination among older Puerto Ricans.

Methods

A total of 304 Puerto Ricans aged 60 and above from Wave 3 of the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study were included. Ordinary least squares regression examined the association between post-traumatic stress, perceived everyday discrimination, and loneliness.

Results

Post-traumatic stress was significantly associated with a higher level of loneliness (β = 0.282; p < 0.001; 95% CI: 0.142, 0.423). The interaction effect between post-traumatic stress and perceived everyday discrimination on loneliness was statistically significant (β = 0.083; p < 0.05; 95% CI: 0.062, 0.230). More specifically, the positive association between post-traumatic stress and loneliness becomes more robust with the increase in perceived everyday discrimination.

Conclusion

Given an increase in population size on the U.S. mainland and migration from Puerto Rico due to natural disasters and declining economic conditions, it is essential to better understand the effect of perceived discrimination against older Puerto Ricans on the mainland United States as well as those who immigrated and stayed through older age. Outreach strategies and interventions that address perceived discrimination can help mitigate loneliness among older Puerto Ricans who experienced trauma.

Keywords:

• Post-traumatic stress
• discrimination
• loneliness
• Puerto Ricans

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Funding

This article was funded by the National Institutes of Health [Grant Numbers: P01-AG023394, P50-HL105185, and R01-AG055948].