Examining Health Information Scanning and Seeking across Diverse Language, Cultural and Technological Media among Latinx Adolescents (Preprint)

Abstract

Latinx adolescent populations may find media, especially social media, as supportive to mental health. In light of this, public attitudes, policies and practices must consider a more diverse portrait of new and diverse language/cultural social media when deliberating about potential harmful effects on mental health risks among adolescents.

This study aimed to identify health information scanning and seeking behaviors in diverse language/cultural media types among Latinx adolescents as knowledge is limited.

In 2021, 701 U.S.-based Latinx adolescents ages 13-20 self-completed a cross-sectional survey about health-related media use. Assessments ascertained frequency of media use and mental/physical health information scanning and seeking across various media technologies (e.g., television, podcasts, social media) and language/culture (i.e., Spanish, Latinx-tailored-English, and general-English). Linear regression models estimated adjusted predicted means of mental/physical health information scanning/seeking across diverse language/cultural media types, net personal/family factors, in the full sample and across mental health symptoms (moderate/high versus none/mild).

No significant differences in media use were observed across symptom groups. However, Latinx adolescents with moderate/high versus none/mild symptoms more often scanned general-English media and social media for mental health information (p<.05), although not for physical health information. Also, Latinx adolescents with moderate/high versus none/mild symptoms more often sought mental health information on Latinx-tailored and general-English media, and social media (p<0.05); a similar pattern was found for physical health information seeking. Finally, Latinx adolescents with moderate/high versus none/mild symptoms more often sought help from family/friends for mental/physical health problems and healthcare providers for mental health only (p<0.05).

While media usage was not disparate across mental health, Latinx adolescents with moderate/high symptoms more often encountered mental health content in general-English media, and social media and family/friend networks, underscoring the importance of providing accessible, quality information to social networks, both in-person and online, to address adolescent mental health.