Relationships in the stress-process model, examining level of accultur
ation, social support, marital status, religion, education, and ethnic
ity associated with self-esteem in 491 immigrant women from Latin Amer
ica at baseline and 1 year later were studied. The mediating/moderatin
g effects of social support marital status, religion, and education on
the relation between level of acculturation and self-esteem were anal
yzed Findings, based on correlations and various multiple regression a
nalyses, showed that the Latina immigrant women experienced increases
in both level of acculturation and self-esteem over the I-year period
When baseline self-esteem was controlled for; only ethnicity and chang
e in level of acculturation were significantly related to follow-up se
lf-esteem; no significant mediators or moderators of acculturation cha
nge were found. Differences between Mexican and other Central American
participants were noted.