Labeling in a California Latinx community: public health implications for youth and role in community narratives

TL;DR

This study explores how labeling affects Latinx youth in a California community, showing how labels influence health, education, and social connections.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into how dichotomous labeling impacts Latinx youth's health and community engagement in an agricultural setting.

Findings

Dichotomous labels of 'good' and 'bad' are common and influence educational and social outcomes.

Youth labeled as 'bad' face exclusion and limited opportunities, while 'good' labels can restrict health-protective behaviors.

Participants resisted negative labels when applied to family or close acquaintances.

Abstract

Prior research demonstrates that Latinx youth disproportionately receive negative labels from parents, peers, and teachers. Negative labels are stigmatizing and often result in rejection or devaluation of the labeled person which can be pivotal within the developmental window of adolescence. Prior research has already shown that experiences of exclusion and social rejection can have detrimental impacts on mental and physical health. To this end, it is paramount to understand how labeling is wielded, especially among those most vulnerable, to devise thoughtful solutions. This study examines how labeling is operationalized within a Latinx community and consequences of such labels on health-protective behaviors, wellbeing, peer networks and school engagement.

In-depth interviews were conducted with 39 adolescents and 20 mothers from a predominantly Latinx and immigrant agricultural community in California. Teams of coders completed iterative rounds of memoing and team meetings to identify themes and develop a code book of inductive and deductive codes. The team completed iterative rounds of coding to refine the codebook and review code discrepancies to ensure fidelity of coding. After coding of mother and adolescent transcripts an additional round of memos and team meetings focused on similarities and differences in youth and mothers’ perspectives about labeling.

Dichotomous labeling of “good” and “bad” arose spontaneously in all mothers and most youth interviews and were pervasive within schools and the broader community. Youth labeled as “bad” experienced limited educational opportunities, exclusion from peers, and community disengagement. While “good kid” labels resulted in educational opportunity and community acceptance these labels also limited health protective-behaviors in some youth, including foregoing contraception. Participants pushed back on negative labeling when it was applied to close family or community acquaintances.

Targeted interventions that foster social belonging and connection rather than exclusion may facilitate health protective behaviors and have positive implications for future trajectories among youth.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-025-23598-z.