Perceived stress and immigration-related demands in a Haitian immigrant community: Descriptive findings from a cancer disparity registry

Introduction: Psychosocial stress plays a critical role in shaping cancer-related outcomes, influencing both health behaviors and biological processes such as inflammation and immune function. Among immigrant populations, stress is often compounded by migration-related challenges and structural barriers. This study provides a descriptive profile of perceived stress and immigration-related demands among Haitian adults participating in the Florida Cancer Health Disparity Registry. Methods: Seventy-five Haitian adults residing in South Florida completed a cross-sectional survey. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) was used to assess global stress levels, while the Immigration Demand Scale captured migration-related stressors. Participants also provided sociodemographic data, including age, education, income, employment status, and family history of cancer. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize responses. Results: The mean age was 43.45 years (±13.47), with the majority aged 31-45 (40.0%) and 46-60 (29.3%). Most participants reported low income (66.7% earning < $10,000/year), and 56.8% were not employed. Only 19.7% reported a family history of cancer. On the Immigration Demand Scale (0-3 scale), the most strongly endorsed stressors included “Job market disadvantage” (1.96 ±0.21), “Missing people from country of origin” (1.92±0.31), and “Not feeling accepted” (1.81±0.16), with additional concerns about accent discrimination and language barriers. On the PSS-10, the mean stress score was 2.26 (±0.50). The most frequently reported experiences were feeling “nervous and stressed” (2.82 ± 0.89), being “upset by something unexpected” (2.47±1.10), and feeling “unable to control important things” (2.33±1.13). Positively framed items such as “Felt things were going your way” (1.47 ± 1.12) and “Felt on top of things” (1.80 ± 1.04) scored lowest, suggesting limited perceived control and optimism. Conclusions and Implications: Participants reported high levels of perceived stress and immigration-related adversity, highlighting the psychosocial burden faced by Haitian immigrants. These stress exposures are important to understand in the context of cancer outcomes, as they may influence healthcare engagement, risk perception, and biological vulnerability. Future analyses will explore the relationship between stress and other cancer-relevant outcomes, including potential impacts on immune and inflammatory biomarkers, to inform culturally grounded prevention strategies.