Profiles of Structural Violence in Hispanic/Latino Immigrant and Non-Immigrant Parents: the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) Youth Study

This study provides critical insights into the pervasive structural violence and compounded stress experienced by Hispanic/Latino caregivers, a population disproportionately impacted by systemic inequities that can adversely affect overall well-being. We analyzed data from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos Youth (n = 458) to identify structural violence exposure patterns among Hispanic/Latino caregivers/parents and examine how these patterns vary by birthplace and U.S. residency duration. Structural violence exposure was measured using six domains: chronic stress, perceived stress, racial/ethnic discrimination, acculturative stress, economic hardship, and neighborhood disorder. Latent profile and multinomial logistic regression identified structural violence patterns and their links to birthplace and U.S. residency. Participants were on average 38.3 years (range 23–71), were predominantly female (87.6%), mostly of Mexican descent (45.9%), and had low socioeconomic status, with 32.7% lacking a high school diploma, 50.1% earning under $20,000 annually, and 84.9% foreign-born. Latent profile analyses revealed three distinct exposure patterns: low-exposure, high-exposure, and high-environmental exposure. Findings indicate that foreign-born Hispanics/Latinos with less than 10 years in the U.S. had significantly lower odds of high-environmental exposure compared to their U.S.-born counterparts, suggesting differential vulnerability based on immigration status and time in the U.S. Birthplace and years in the U.S. were not significantly associated with group membership when comparing high- and low-exposure groups, indicating that multiple factors beyond nativity may contribute to structural violence experiences. These findings underscore the critical need for context-specific interventions tailored to the unique stressors faced by Hispanic/Latino communities to mitigate health risks associated with structural violence.