Health among Black children by maternal and child nativity

A.S. Hendi, N.K. Mehta and I.T. Elo

American Journal of Public Health, 2015, vol. 105, issue 4, 703-710

Abstract: Objectives. We examined 5 health outcomes among Black children born to US-born and foreign-born mothers and whether differences by mother's region of birth could be explained by maternal duration of US residence, child's place of birth, and familial sociodemographic characteristics. Methods. Data were from the 2000-2011 National Health Interview Surveys. We examined 3 groups of children, based on mother's region of birth: US origin, African origin, and Latin American or Caribbean origin. We estimated multivariate regression models. Results. Children of foreign-born mothers were healthier across all 5 outcomes than were children of US-born mothers. Among children of foreign-born mothers, US-born children performed worse on all health outcomes than children born abroad. African-origin children had the most favorable health profile. Longer duration of US residence among foreign-born mothers was associated with poorer child health. Maternal educational attainment and other sociodemographic characteristics did little to explain these differences. Conclusions. Further studies are needed to understand the role of selective migration and the behavioral, cultural, socioeconomic, and contextual origins of the health advantage of Black children of foreign-born mothers. © 2015, American Public Health Association Inc.

Keywords: adolescent; Africa; African American; Caribbean; child; demography; epidemiology; ethnology; female; health status; health survey; human; male; migrant; mother; preschool child; socioeconomics; South and Central America; statistics and numerical data; United States, Adolescent; Africa; African Americans; Caribbean Region; Child; Child, Preschool; Emigrants and Immigrants; Female; Health Status; Health Surveys; Humans; Latin America; Male; Mothers; Residence Characteristics; Socioeconomic Factors; United States (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2014.302343_7

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2014.302343

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