Health status and health service access and use among children in U.S. immigrant families.
OBJECTIVE
We examined the health status and patterns of health care use of children in US immigrant families.


METHODS
Data from the 1999 National Survey of America's Families were used to create 3 subgroups of immigrant children: US-born children with noncitizen parents, foreign-born children who were naturalized US citizens, and foreign-born children with noncitizen parents. Chi-square and logistic regression analyses were used to examine relationships between immigrant status and health access variables. Subgroup analyses were conducted with low-income families.


RESULTS
Foreign-born noncitizen children were 4 times more likely than children from native families to lack health insurance coverage and to have not visited a mental health specialist in the preceding year. They were 40% and 80% more likely to have not visited a doctor or dentist in the previous year and twice as likely to lack a usual source of care. US-born children with noncitizen parents were also at a disadvantage in many of these aspects of care.


CONCLUSIONS
We found that, overall, children from immigrant families were in worse physical health than children from non-immigrant families and used health care services at a significantly lower frequency.
Huang
Zhihuan Jennifer
ZJ
MBBS, Department of International Health-NHS, Georgetown University, St. Mary's Hall 215, Box 571107, 3700 Reservoir Rd NW, Washington, DC 20057, USA. zh34@georgetown.edu
Yu
Stella M
SM
Ledsky
Rebecca
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008483:Medical Assistance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty; D014481:United States