- Cano, Miguel;
- Castro, Felipe;
- Benner, Aprile;
- Molina, Kristine;
- Schwartz, Seth;
- Higashi, Robin;
- Lee, MinJae;
- Vaughan, Ellen;
- Bursac, Zoran;
- Cepeda, Alice;
- Valdez, Avelardo;
- Rojas, Patria;
- De La Rosa, Mario;
- Alonso, Betty;
- Zvolensky, Michael;
- de Dios, Marcel
Exposure to ethnic discrimination has been conceptualized as a sociocultural stressor that is associated with lower self-rated health. However, this association remains understudied among Hispanics and less is known about constructs that may mitigate the effects of ethnic discrimination on self-rated health. Accordingly, this study aimed to (a) examine the association between ethnic discrimination and self-rated health among Hispanic emerging adults (ages 18-25), and (b) examine the extent to which self-esteem and resilience may moderate this association. A convenience sample of 200 Hispanic emerging adults from Arizona (n=99) and Florida (n=101) was recruited to complete a cross-sectional survey. Data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression and moderation analyses. Results indicate that higher ethnic discrimination was associated with lower self-rated health. Moderation analyses indicated that self-esteem functioned as a moderator that weakened the association between ethnic discrimination and self-rated health; however, resilience did not function similarly as a moderator. This study adds to the limited literature on ethnic discrimination and self-rated health among Hispanics and highlights that psychological factors, such as enhancing self-esteem, may help buffer the adverse effects of ethnic discrimination on health outcomes.