Acculturation Gap Conflicts and Self-Rated Health Among Hispanic Emerging Adults

Introduction: Emerging adulthood is a distinct and challenging developmental stage of life. It may be particularly stressful for Hispanic emerging adults due to various cultural stressors. However, there is little research on the impact of one particular cultural stressor, the acculturation gap. Therefore, this study aims to examine whether acculturation gap conflicts are associated with self-rated health. Method: Participants were recruited in Arizona and Florida, and 200 Hispanic emerging adults (ages 18–25) completed a cross-sectional survey. Data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression. Results: Coefficients from a hierarchical multiple regression model indicated that higher levels of acculturation gap conflicts were associated with lower self-rated health after controlling for psychological stress and other demographic variables. Discussion: This is the first study on acculturation gap conflicts and selfrated health among Hispanics.