Pregnancy outcome of Mexican-American women: the effect of generational residence in the United States.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether duration of generational residence in the United States is associated with the pregnancy outcome of Mexican Americans.


METHODS
This is a population-based study.


METHODS
Stratified analyses were performed on a data set of 1989-1991 Illinois computerized vital records of Mexican-American infants.


RESULTS
First generation (N=2,203) and second or higher (N=4,192) US-born Mexican-American women had infant low birth-weight rates of 7.5% and 6.1%, respectively, compared to 5.1% for Mexican-born women (N=39,050); relative risk=1.4 (1.2-1.7) and 1.2 (1.1-1.4), respectively. Among women with one or more high-risk sociodemographic characteristics (age less than 20 years, educational attainment less than 12 years, unmarried, high parity, or inadequate prenatal care), first generation (N=1,624) and second or higher generation (N=2,874) US-born Mexican-American women had infant low birth-weight rates of 8.3% and 6.5%, respectively, vs 5.2% for Mexican-born women (N=33,625); relative risk = 1.6 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3-1.9) and 1.2 (95% CI, 1.0-1.4), respectively. Among women with the lowest sociodemographic risk profile, infant low birthweight rates did not vary between the subgroups.


CONCLUSIONS
For second or higher generation US-born Mexican-American women, the rate of infant low birth weight does not exceed that of first generation US-born women; it actually approximates that of Mexican-born women across a broad range of sociodemographic characteristics.
Department of Pediatrics, Children's Memorial Hospital, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois 60614, USA. jcollins@northwestern.edu
James W
JW
Collins
Richard J
RJ
David
D000328:Adult; D001723:Birth Rate / Q000208:ethnology*; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000235:genetics*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007087:Illinois / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008800:Mexico / Q000208:ethnology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016387:Women's Health