Padilla Yolanda C, Hamilton Erin R, Hummer Robert A
University of Texas at Austin.
Soc Sci Q. 2009 Dec 1;90(5):1072-1088. doi: 10.1111/j.1540-6237.2009.00647.x.
This study investigates how prenatal demographic, social, and behavioral characteristics of Mexican origin immigrant mothers, which are linked to their relatively healthy birth outcomes, influence the subsequent health of their children in comparison to other racial and ethnic groups. METHODS: We use data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study of a cohort of 2,819 children born between 1998 and 2000 to analyze chronic health conditions at age 5 using logistic regression models. RESULTS: Multivariate analyses revealed no significant differences in chronic health conditions at age 5 between children of Mexican immigrant mothers and non-Hispanic white children, controlling for socioeconomic status and access to health care. In contrast, children of U.S.-born Mexican American mothers had significantly higher odds of chronic conditions compared to non-Hispanic white children. Social support and health care use are related to child health outcomes but do not explain racial and ethnic differences. CONCLUSIONS: Health policy must respond in order to help maintain the healthy outcomes of Mexican American children of immigrants and reverse the deteriorating health of children in subsequent generations, in light of considerable socioeconomic disadvantage and inadequate access to health care.
本研究调查了墨西哥裔移民母亲的产前人口统计学、社会和行为特征（这些特征与她们相对健康的分娩结果相关）与其他种族和族裔群体相比，如何影响其子女随后的健康状况。方法：我们使用了脆弱家庭和儿童福利研究的数据，该研究对1998年至2000年间出生的2819名儿童组成的队列进行了研究，使用逻辑回归模型分析了5岁时的慢性健康状况。结果：多变量分析显示，在控制社会经济地位和获得医疗保健的情况下，墨西哥移民母亲的子女与非西班牙裔白人儿童在5岁时的慢性健康状况没有显著差异。相比之下，美国出生的墨西哥裔美国母亲的子女患慢性病的几率明显高于非西班牙裔白人儿童。社会支持和医疗保健的使用与儿童健康结果相关，但并不能解释种族和族裔差异。结论：鉴于相当大的社会经济劣势和获得医疗保健的不足，卫生政策必须做出回应，以帮助维持移民的墨西哥裔美国儿童的健康结果，并扭转后代儿童健康状况恶化的局面。
