Evidence suggests that among Hispanic/Latino populations in the United States, perceived discrimination is a significant stressor that may be a risk factor for unhealthy behaviors such as alcohol use, smoking and negative health outcomes such as depression. However, the Hispanic/Latino population might have different susceptibilities to the stressors of discrimination based on their specific heritage as they continue to be portrayed as a homogeneous group while disregarding the unique heritage-specific attributes that constitute this larger ethnic population. Aims : The aims of this dissertation were : (1) To examine whether self-reports of perceived discrimination across different Hispanic/Latino heritage groups were associated with alcohol use and abuse. (2) To determine whether reports of perceived discrimination across different Hispanic/Latino heritage groups were associated with smoking and (3) To assess the association between migration, discrimination and depressive symptoms among a population of indigenous Mayan migrants. Methods : In Chapters 2 and 3, 16,415 individuals who self-identified as Hispanic/Latino and were between the ages of 18-74 were randomly selected, recruited and interviewed by the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos in the communities of The Bronx, New York; Chicago, Illinois; San Diego, California and Miami, Florida. Perceived discrimination and its association with alcohol use and smoking were explored. In Chapter 4, a total of 650 individuals of Tunkaseño heritage (a community of indigenous Maya from the Mexican state of Yucatán) were recruited binationally in the town of Tunkás and the satellite communities of Anaheim and Inglewood, California by The Mexican Migration Field Research Program staff. We assessed the association between migration history, religiosity and perceived discrimination. Results : Chapter 2 found that individuals of Cuban heritage who reported perceived discrimination were significantly more likely to report alcohol use. In Chapter 3 no significant association was found between those who reported perceived discrimination and smoking after controlling for identified psychosocial variables and alcohol use. Chapter 4 found that migration experience and current U.S. residence was associated with perceived discrimination, which in turn was associated with a higher risk for depressive symptoms, but this finding was not supported in gender-stratified analyses. Among women not living in the U.S, religiosity was associated with less discrimination. Also discrimination was found to be pervasive among male and female transnational and domestic migrants while religiosity served as a possible protective factor against discrimination for some women. Conclusions : Results from these studies have important implications for the development and restructuring of programs designed to assist Hispanics/Latinos with substance abuse or depression. Public health programs should include perceived discrimination and migration history as a potential risk for substance use and negative mental health outcomes, and be tailored individually to Hispanic/ Latino heritage

In this article we use four different indices to measure cost performance of the European Airline Industry. By using the number of routes as an indicator of Network Size, we are able to estimate indicators of Economies of Density, Network Size and Spatial Scope. By estimating total and variable cost functions we are also able to calculate an index of the excess capacity of the firms. For this purpose, we use data from the years 1984 to 1998, a period during which several deregulation measures were imposed on the European airline industry.    Some of the implications of this deregulation process for the cost performance of the industry are presented and discussed. Our results suggest that in the year 1998, almost all the firms had Economics of Density in their existing networks, while several of the firms also had  Economies of Network Size and Economies of Spatial Scope. All of the firms had excess capacity of fixed inputs. These results support our hypothesis that fusion, alliance, and merger strategies followed by the principal European airlines after 1998 are not just explained by marketing strategies, but also by the cost structure of the industry.

OBJECTIVES: Religion plays an important role in the lives of people in the United States. We examined the prevalence of religiosity among Hispanic/Latinos in four regions of the United States and looked at its correlation to depression and anxiety symptoms. DESIGN: The population-based Hispanic Community Health Study/ Study of Latinos enrolled a cohort of Hispanic/Latino adults (N = 16,415) ages 18-74 in four US cities from June 2008 to June 2011. Participants with complete data on religiosity (i.e., religious affiliation, frequency of attending religious activities and importance of religion), depression (assessed with the CESD-10), and trait anxiety (assessed with the STAI-10) were included in the present study. Distribution of religiosity is described by sociodemographic characteristics. Associations between religiosity with depression and anxiety were examined with logistic regression models controlling for sex, age group, education, Hispanic/Latino background, clinical center, and nativity. RESULTS: The majority of the population (89.5%) reported having a religious affiliation. Weekly attendance at religious activities was reported by 41.6% of participants, while 20.6% did not attend any religious activities. Religion was very important to 63.9% and not at all important to 6.7% of the population. The CES-D scores and trait anxiety scores were not significantly related in the overall group to frequency of attending religious activity or perceived importance of religion. However, in age-stratified analyses, among older individuals (65+ years old) reporting never participating in religious activities compared to more than once per week was associated with an 80% higher likelihood of having high depressive symptomatology. Similarly, in the older age group, no religious affiliation or reporting that religion is not at all important was associated with greater anxiety symptomatology. CONCLUSION: Religiosity varied by Hispanic/Latino background. Lack of religiosity was associated with elevated depressive or anxiety symptomology in older adults but not in young or middle-aged adults.