The impact of the Wellness Guide/Guia on Hispanic women's well-being-related knowledge, efficacy beliefs, and behaviors: The mediating role of acculturation

This study examined how acculturation mediated the impact of the California Wellness Guide/La Guia del Bienestar on Hispanic women's knowledge, efficacy beliefs, and behaviors. Knowledge gaps were found between acculturated and less acculturated women, Acculturated mothers had more confidence in their abilities to acquire wellness-related information both before and after Guide/Guia distribution and also had more assistance-seeking efficacy. Guide/Guia recipients were more knowledgeable, had greater confidence in their knowledge and their abilities to acquire information, and possessed better information acquisition strategies than nonrecipients. The publication also enhanced low-acculturated recipients' assistance-seeking self-efficacy. High-acculturated and low-acculturated recipients of the Guide/Guia were equally likely to have retained and used their copies, to anticipate using the publication in the future, and to have made a change in behavior as a result of the guide. Finally, the Guide/Guia did not increase the knowledge gap between high- and low-acculturated guide recipients.