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.
Udry
J Richard
JR
Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 27516-2424, USA. udry@unc.edu
Li
Rose Maria
RM
Hendrickson-Smith
Janet
J
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