Latinos are the second largest racial/ethnic group in the United States. In 2012, Latinos represented 17% of the total Unites States (U.S.) population (53.6 million) with people of Mexican ancestry encompassing the majority of Latinos in the U.S. (63.4%) (Pew Research Center, 2013). High immigration rates are a contributing factor to the fast growth of the Latino population. Between 2000 and 2010, Latinos made up more than half of the U.S. population growth and it is expected that in the next four decades, immigrant and later generation Latinos will account for 82% of the population increase in the U. S. (Census Brief, 2010). The aim of this symposium is to discuss results from four completed studies regarding cultural/immigration factors associated with the physical and psychological well-being of Latino youth in the U.S. Study 1 investigated the culturally situated ways immigrant Mexican parents define their roles in children’s literacy development. This study provides insight into cultural continuities and discontinuities between immigrant and U.S. born Mexican children’s home and school experiences. Study 2 examined the moderating role of immigrant and U.S. born Latina maternal acculturation and parenting strategies on disordered eating behaviors in adolescent Latinas with obesity. Study 3 explored how student migration impacted low-income Latino children who left their neighborhoods to attend a state-of-the-art school structured to develop global citizens with a strong racial identity. Study 4 assessed the unique and combined contribution of typical college stressors (e.g. academic, financial, social) and ethnic minority stress (e.g. inter-ethnic relations, ethnic discrimination, within-group stress) to negative (depression) and positive affect (sense of well-being) among Latino college students. Implications of the findings from four completed studies for the healthy development of U.S. Latino children and youth will be discussed.

Norma Olvera, Ph.D. Professor, Health Program Lead, Psychological, Health, and Learning Sciences Department, University of Houston. Dr. Olvera is also the Obesity Society Fellow, Past-Chair of The Obesity Society-Latin American Studies Section. Dr. Olvera’s research has contributed significantly to the study of US Latino health by identifying specific familial, cultural, social, and environmental influences on pediatric obesity, body image, eating disordered behaviors, and physical activity in children and adolescents. For example, Dr. Olvera’s research has revealed that maternal obesity and indulgent parenting strategies predicted their child’s body size. Furthermore, Dr. Olvera has studied the intergenerational transmission of body size dissatisfaction suggesting that mothers and daughters’ acculturation and adiposity were associated with their desire to be thinner. Using a socio-ecological approach Dr. Olvera has developed innovative family-based obesity interventions designed to promote healthy eating, exercise and positive body image in Latina and African American girls. Dr. Olvera is founder of the BOUNCE Healthy Lifestyle interventions which have been nationally highlighted in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine on March 2013 (Olvera et al., 2013) and Journal of Pediatric Psychology (Olvera et al, 2013). Dr. Olvera has received numerous awards such as the National Cancer Research Awareness Award for her efforts to promote a healthy lifestyle in Latino and African American families. She has presented her work at international and national scientific meetings. Dr. Olvera has received funding from the National Health Institutes, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Active Living Research and Salud! Programs, American Cancer Society, St Luke Episcopal Health Charities, Community Health Choice, and Harris County Hospital District Foundation, and University of Houston). In the spirit of interdisciplinary research, Dr. Olvera has often collaborated with colleagues with expertise in psychology, health education, methodology, landscape architecture, exercise physiology, nutrition, and biomechanics from national and international academic institutions.