%0 Journal Article
%T Selected Health Status Measures of Children from US Immigrant Families
%A Stella M. Yu
%A Sue C. Lin
%A Terry Adirim
%J ISRN Pediatrics
%D 2013
%R 10.1155/2013/164757
%X Using the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health (N = 91,532), we studied the relationship between the joint effects of immigrant family type (foreign-born children, US-born children/one foreign-born parent, US-born children/both foreign-born parents, and US-born children/US-born parents) and race/ethnicity on various health measures (parent-reported physical and dental health, obesity/overweight, breast-feeding, school absence, injury, and chronic condition). We used weighted logistic regression to examine the independent effects of the 12-level joint variable on various health status measures while controlling for confounding factors. Overall, nearly one-third of families with both foreign-born parents were poor, and one-quarter of the parents in these households did not complete high school. Compared with non-Hispanic White US-born children, multivariable analyses indicate that all Hispanic children have higher odds of obesity, poor physical and dental health, with Hispanic foreign-born children 7 times as likely to report poor/fair physical health. Most children of immigrant parents were more likely to have been breast-fed and less likely to miss school more than 11 days. Child age and household poverty status were independently associated with most of the health status measures. Combined race/ethnicity and immigrant family type categories have heterogeneous associations with each health outcome measure examined. Culturally competent interventions and policies should be developed to serve these expanding communities. 1. Introduction Children from US immigrant families, who are defined as individuals under the age of 18 in families with at least one foreign-born parent, comprised nearly one-quarter of all US children in 2010 [1]. In USA, immigrant families have been differentiated by the following types: those with foreign-born children, US-born children with both foreign-born parents, and US-born children with one foreign-born parent. Many of these children live in households with low incomes, have parents with low education levels and limited English proficiency, interact less often with their parents, and use less health care benefits than children of natives [2]. Immigrant families are driving rapid population increases and growing racial and ethnic diversity in local communities and school districts across the country [3]. This significant demographic shift presents a unique set of social and economic challenges for access to health care, oral health, and health promotion outcomes. Differential health care access and use have been found in
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn.pediatrics/2013/164757/