Kindratt Tiffany B, Dallo Florence J, Brown Kyrah K
Department of Kinesiology, University of Texas at Arlington, 500 W. Nedderman Drive, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA.
School of Health Sciences, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA.
Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2024 Dec 4. doi: 10.1007/s00127-024-02799-8.
To determine the prevalence of childhood mental and emotional health concerns and care seeking patterns among foreign-born MENA children compared to US- and foreign-born White children before and after adjusting for covariates.
Data from the 2000-2018 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) were analyzed. Poor toddler mental health in the past two months (2-3 years) and childhood emotional difficulties (4-17 years) in the past six months were measured. Parents also reported whether (yes/no) their child saw a doctor for behavioral or emotional concerns in the past 12 months.
Parents of foreign-born MENA young children (ages 2-3 years) were less likely to report mental health concerns (44.8%) compared to US-born White counterparts (67.3%; p <.05). Parents of foreign-born MENA children were less likely to report emotional difficulties compared to US- and foreign-born White children (21.9% and 19.3%, respectively; p's < 0.05). Foreign-born MENA children with mental or emotional health concerns had lower odds of seeing a doctor in the last 12 months for emotional/behavioral problems (OR = 0.45; 95% CI = 0.24-0.86) or mental health concerns (OR = 0.47; 95% CI = 0.27-0.83) compared to their US-born White counterparts after adjusting for sociodemographic factors.
Parents of foreign-born MENA children reported fewer mental and emotional health concerns compared to US-born Whites. Those with mental and emotional health concerns were less likely to seek mental health care compared to their US-born White counterparts. Further research is needed to confirm and expand on these findings once a unique racial/ethnic identifier for MENA children is made available for measuring national mental health statistics.
确定与美国出生的白人儿童以及外国出生的白人儿童相比，外国出生的中东和北非（MENA）儿童中儿童期心理和情绪健康问题的患病率以及寻求护理的模式，并对协变量进行调整。
分析了2000 - 2018年全国健康访谈调查（NHIS）的数据。测量了过去两个月（2 - 3岁）幼儿的心理健康状况不佳以及过去六个月（4 - 17岁）儿童期的情绪困扰情况。父母还报告了他们的孩子在过去12个月内是否（是/否）因行为或情绪问题看过医生。
与美国出生的白人儿童（67.3%；p < 0.05）相比，外国出生的MENA幼儿（2 - 3岁）的父母报告心理健康问题的可能性较小（44.8%）。与美国出生和外国出生的白人儿童相比，外国出生的MENA儿童的父母报告情绪困扰的可能性较小（分别为21.9%和19.3%；p < 0.05）。在调整社会人口学因素后，有心理或情绪健康问题的外国出生的MENA儿童在过去12个月内因情绪/行为问题（OR = 0.45；95% CI = 0.24 - 0.86）或心理健康问题（OR = 0.47；95% CI = 0.27 - 0.83）看医生的几率低于美国出生的白人儿童。
与美国出生的白人相比，外国出生的MENA儿童的父母报告的心理和情绪健康问题较少。与美国出生的白人儿童相比，那些有心理和情绪健康问题的儿童寻求心理健康护理的可能性较小。一旦有了用于衡量全国心理健康统计数据的MENA儿童独特种族/族裔标识符，需要进一步研究来证实和扩展这些发现。
