About this poster

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Panel information
Panel 8. Social Intergroup Processes

Abstract

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The current study explored the measurement invariance and predictive ability of the Measure of Perceived Ethnic Discrimination (Phiney et al., 1998) from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Specifically, we tested for measurement invariance across Black and Hispanic children (10/11 years old) and assessed the scale’s capacity to predict various outcomes related to mental health, attitudes towards substance use, and physical health.
Data for this study were drawn from Hispanic (n=2,410) and Black (n=1,784) youth from the ABCD study. Data on perceived ethnic discrimination, CBCL externalizing and internalizing behaviors, sleep problems, perceived harm of substance use, and alcohol expectancies were drawn from the 1-year follow up wave. Data on the number of pain sites and UPPS impulsive behavior subscales were drawn from the 2-year follow up wave. To test for measurement invariance, we assessed for categorical outcome multi-group invariance (Wu & Estabrook, 2016; Svetina et al., 2019). To test for the predictive ability of the scale, we conducted separate multigroup regressions for each outcome, while accounting for collection site, family clustering, age, sex, parental education and income.
Results indicated measurement invariance of the Ethnic Discrimination Scale across Black and Hispanic youth. Chi-squared tests of model fit showed that overall fit was not significantly worse in the threshold equality model nor in the threshold and loadings equality model. The models' Comparative Fit Index (CFI) and Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI) were consistently high (0.98-0.99), while the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) was within acceptable limits (0.05-0.07).
In multigroup regression analyses, distinct patterns emerged for Black and Hispanic youth. For both groups, significant associations were found between ethnic discrimination and CBCL externalizing (Black:β=.09,p=.005; Hispanic:β =.11,p<.001) and internalizing scores (Black:β=.11,p=.01; Hispanic:β=.09,p=.004), with higher levels of perceived discrimination associated with greater externalizing and internalizing behaviors. In terms of UPPS scales, both groups exhibited significant associations with negative urgency (Black: β=.18,p<.001;Hispanic:β=.15,p<.001) and positive urgency (Black:β=.16, p <.001; Hispanic: β =.11, p<.001) in relation to discrimination. However, disparities emerged in lack of planning (Black:β=.03,p=.35; Hispanic: β=.08,p<.001) and lack of perseverance (Black:β=.01,p=.71;Hispanic:β=.09,p<.001), with these associations being more pronounced in Hispanic youth. Sensation seeking showed a significant positive association with perceived discrimination in Black youth (β=.08,p=.007) but not in Hispanic youth (β=-.01,p=.76). Negative alcohol expectancies showed a strong inverse relationship with perceived discrimination, such that Black (β=-.11,p<.001) and Hispanic (β=-.07,p =.009) youth who experienced discrimination were less likely to report beliefs that negative consequences would result from drinking. Discrimination was less consistently associated with positive alcohol expectancies, showing a significant relationship for Black youth (β=.07,p=.02) but not Hispanic youth (β=.10, p =.49). For both groups, reporting higher discrimination was associated with perceiving less risk from substance use (Black:β=-.06,p=.05; Hispanic:β=-.09,p=.001), however this was only significant for Hispanic youth. Both Hispanic and Black youth reported a greater number of pain sites with increased levels of perceived discrimination (Black:β=.07,p=.01;Hispanic:β=.05,p=.04). However, discrimination was associated with more sleep problems only for Hispanic youth (β=.08,p=.01), but not Black youth (β=.03,p=.24).
In conclusion, the Ethnic Discrimination Scale demonstrates measurement invariance across Black and Hispanic youth, with its predictive ability confirmed for a range of mental, physical, and behavioral health outcomes. The current study reinforces the fact that discrimination experiences have a broad negative impact on youth development and highlights the need to identify protective factors that can buffer this effect.

Author information

Author	Role
Angel D. Trevino, Arizona State University	Presenting author
Belal Jamil, Arizona State University, United States	Non-presenting author
Jinni Su, Arizona State University, United States	Non-presenting author

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