Health and behavior risks of adolescents with mixed-race identity.
OBJECTIVE
This study compared the health and risk status of adolescents who identify with 1 race with those identifying with more than 1 race.


METHODS
Data are derived from self-reports of race, using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), which provides a large representative national sample of adolescents in grades 7 through 12. Respondents could report more than 1 race.


RESULTS
Mixed-race adolescents showed higher risk when compared with single-race adolescents on general health questions, school experience, smoking and drinking, and other risk variables.


CONCLUSIONS
Adolescents who self-identify as more than 1 race are at higher health and behavior risks. The findings are compatible with interpreting the elevated risk of mixed race as associated with stress.
Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 27516-2424, USA. udry@unc.edu
J Richard
JR
Udry
Rose Maria
RM
Li
Janet
J
Hendrickson-Smith
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D019352:Censuses; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D016017:Odds Ratio; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000145:classification*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology