title: Cross-border ties and self-rated health status for young Latino adults in Southern California.
abstract: At the same time that health researchers have mostly ignored the cross-border nature of immigrant social networks, scholars of immigrant "transnationalism" have left health largely unexamined. This paper addresses this gap by analyzing the relationship between cross-border ties and self-rated health status for young Latino adults living in the greater Los Angeles area (n = 1268). Findings based on an ordered logistic regression analysis suggest that cross-border relationships may have both protective and adverse effects on overall health status. Specifically, those reporting a period of extended parental cross-border separation during childhood have lower odds of reporting better categories of self-rated health, all else equal. Conversely, a significant positive association was found between having a close relative living abroad and self-rated health status for foreign-born respondents when interacted with immigrant generation (foreign versus U.S.-born). Given the findings of significant negative and positive relationships between cross-border ties and self-rated general health status, I discuss the implications for future research on the social determinants of immigrant health.
authors: UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Department of Community Health Sciences, 650 Charles E Young Dr S, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. jacquemtorres@gmail.com
authors: Jacqueline M
authors: JM
authors: Torres
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015141:Los Angeles; D008297:Male; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors