Project Number: R40 MC 05470-02 Project Date: 09/01/2005 Grantee: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Department/Center: Department of Maternal and Child Health
Andrea Campbell Weathers M.D., Dr.P.H., Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Department of Maternal and Child Health, 400 Rosenau Hall, CB # 7445 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7445 andrea_weathers@unc.edu
Abstract
Migration will be a defining characteristic of the 21st century, yet little is known about the health of immigrants. Over the past 3 decades, the United States has experienced a wave of immigration that is both quantitatively and qualitatively unlike previous waves. The ethnic diversity that characterizes this wave of immigrants already has reshaped the demographic composition of the United States. Families with children are central to this demographic change, as children of immigrants are the fastest growing segment of the U.S. child population. Despite this growth, few studies examine health care access among children of immigrants. The majority of existing health access studies on children of immigrants lack national representation and lack inclusion of indicators of family migration. Given the inherent dependency of children upon adults, understanding of access to health care for children of immigrants may be improved by investigating the migration characteristics of their caretakers. The results of such analyses can advance the current knowledge pool regarding health access disparities among children of immigrants, as compared to those born to natives. Moreover, improved understanding of these relationships can be used to inform effective program and health policy development for this vulnerable and growing population of children. The proposed research provides a comprehensive examination of the association between caretaker immigration structure and access to health care among children of immigrants in the United States. Both potential access (barriers to care) and realized access (use of health care) will be examined. Univariate and bivariate analyses will be complemented by multivariate analyses using logistic regression, multinomial logistic regression, and 2-part econometric models. Moreover, subgroup analyses will test these adjusted models for variation of the associations among children of different racial, ethnic, and national origin categories. MCHB 2004 - 2009 Strategic Research Issues addressed include #II (elimination of health disparities and barriers to health care access) and #IV (promotion of healthy development of MCH populations). This proposal also addresses the Healthy People 2010 Leading Health Indicator of Access to Health Care.
2. Weathers A, Novak S, Sastry N, Norton EC. Parental nativity affects children's health and access to care. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health 2008;10 (2):155 - 65.
3. Weathers A, Novak S, Sastry N, Norton EC. Parental nativity is an important factor associated with where children usually go for health care. Maternal and Child Health Journal 2008; 12:499 - 508.
Weathers A, Norton EC, Sonnenfield N. The role of caretaker migration in health and access to care for children of immigrants: findings from the National Survey of America's Families (abstract #: 2914.449). http://www.pas-meeting.org/
Weathers AC, Novak SP, Sastry N, Norton EC. Parental Nativity is an Important Factor Associated with Where Children Usually Go for Health Care. Maternal and Child Health Journal. (Currently available online only: http://www.springerlink.com/content/20t15t61g38r5828/ ).
Keywords
immigrants, access to health care, health care utilization, preventive health care, well child care, minority groups
