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Abstract
Several researchers have examined how acculturation shapes the self-esteem of adolescents, but few studies have looked at the influence of acculturation for older Mexican Americans. The aim of this study was to examine how language acculturation shaped the self-esteem of older Mexican Americans. The data come from the baseline wave (N = 3050) of the ongoing Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (H-EPESE), a multistage area probability sample conducted in 1993 and 1994. Research revealed that language acculturation is positively associated with self-esteem. However, depressive symptoms mediate and moderate the association of acculturation on self-esteem. Language acculturation among older Mexican Americans is positively associated with self-esteem, even when individuals experience depressive symptoms. Findings suggest that acculturation influences multiple dimensions of mental health.
Acknowledgement
Support for this research was provided by grants from the National Institute of Aging (R01AG10939, R01AG021089, and T32AG000270) and the National Cancer Institute (5P50CA105631) administered through the Sealy Center on Aging and the Center for Population Health and Health Disparities at the University of Texas Medical Branch.