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PubMedDate not supplied

Immigrant differences in school-age children's verbal trajectories: a look at four racial/ethnic groups.

This study explored inter- and intraindividual immigrant group differences in children's English verbal ability over ages 6-16 in 4 racial/ethnic groups-White Americans, Black Americans, Mexican Americans, and Puerto Ricans (N=2,136). Although all children's mean verbal scores increased with age, immigrant children (except for Black Americans) had lower scores than respective nonimmigrant children. In contrast, immigrant children (except for Mexican Americans) had more persistent verbal growth into adolescence than respective nonimmigrant children. Family resources moderately accounted for immigrant differences in children's mean verbal scores only. The findings support different theoretical models for understanding inter- and intraindividual immigrant differences in achievement. Mexican-American immigrants and Black American nonimmigrants were struggling and merit policy attention.

Achievement↗

PubMed1971

On the risk of multiple sclerosis according to age at immigration to South Africa.

In a national prevalence study of multiple sclerosis (M.S.) in the Republic of South Africa based on census day 1960 there were 118 individuals with M.S. who were born in Northern Europe (United Kingdom and other parts of North and Central Europe) and who had emigrated to the Republic by 1960. Their prevalence rate was 49 per 100,000 immigrants in comparison with a prevalence of 11 per 100,000 among native-born English-speaking white South Africans.To study the possible effect of age at immigration it was necessary to relate the M.S. immigrants to the appropriate denominator-the population at risk according to age at immigration. The population at risk by age at immigration has been estimated by two methods in an indirect fashion with the assistance of the Bureau of Census (1960) and by surveys of the population at risk 1968-9. Both studies suggest that the risk of developing M.S. was reduced to less than a third of the expected risk among those who immigrated under the age of 15 or 16.This study is further evidence that M.S. is an acquired exogenous disease, the precise nature of which is still not certain but, according to present knowledge, has as its leading contender the class of slow, latent, or temperate viruses.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

British Gujarati Indian immigrants' and British Caucasians' beliefs about health and illness.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: This study examined cultural differences in beliefs about health and illness to explore differences in younger and older British Caucasians' and British Gujarati Indian immigrants' beliefs about health and illness. METHODS: This study required a matched group consisting of first- and second-generation Gujarati Indian immigrants and native British Caucasians to complete a questionnaire assessing their beliefs concerning health and illness. RESULTS: Factor analysis of the health beliefs questionnaire identified six clear factors accounting for 36.04% of the variance. Subsequent ANCOVAs conducted on the factor scores, partialling out the demographic differences between the participants, revealed that Gujarati Indian immigrants agreed with items reflecting supernatural explanations of ill health more than indigenous British Caucasian participants. Older Indian immigrants also rated chance-related factors as more important than older Caucasian immigrants. There were no significant differences between the Gujarati Indian immigrants and British Caucasians in terms of attributions made to psychological factors and self-responsibility, social factors and life circumstances, medical treatment and physical vulnerability and the external environment. CONCLUSIONS: Findings are discussed in relation to the model proposed by Helman (2001) and the impact of migration on health beliefs systems; practical implications of the findings are also highlighted.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

Gender, generational and social support correlates of mental health in Asian immigrants.

A sample of 100 Asian immigrants, mainly from India and Pakistan, were interviewed in their native language (Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi or English) concerning their psychological adjustment to life in Britain. It was predicted that female Indo-Pakistan immigrants would have higher levels of psychological symptomatology than male immigrants; and that second generation immigrants would have higher levels of psychological symptomatology than the first generation immigrants did not have higher levels of psychological symptoms than the first generation immigrants. Social support networks of the subjects were not correlated with mental health. However for the two generations, there was evidence linking social support to mental health. The extent of acculturisation, as measured by identificational assimilation, was not correlated with mental health. Results are discussed in terms of the burgeoning literature in this field.

Acculturation↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Judgments about intimate partner violence: a statewide survey about immigrants.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this research was to: (1) examine judgments about immigrants who are victims of and assailants in intimate partner violence, and (2) assess whether immigrants to the U.S., a diverse and growing population, know that intimate partner violence is illegal in the United States and their judgments about what sanctions, if any, should follow. METHODS: A random-digit-dial telephone survey was conducted in four languages with 3,679 California adults. There were roughly comparable numbers of white, black, Latino, Korean American, Vietnamese American, and other Asian American participants; 60.1% were born outside the U.S. An experimental vignette design was used to vary victim, assailant, and contextual factors about incidents of intimate partner violence and to assess respondents' judgments about the behavior and what should be done about it. Multivariate analyses were conducted to examine the independent effect of these predictor variables and characteristics of the respondents. RESULTS: Respondent judgments about whether an incident of intimate partner violence was wrong, illegal, or about what sanctions should follow were not related to nativity of either the victim or the assailant. Immigrant respondents differed from native-born respondents on two outcomes: immigrants were more likely to think that the behavior was illegal and that guns should be removed from the assailant. CONCLUSIONS: Concerns that immigrants do not know that intimate partner violence is illegal in the U.S. are largely misplaced--immigrants know it soon after their arrival in the U.S. In addition, it appears that a cultural defense regarding domestic violence is not likely to sway others.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Ethnophaulisms and exclusion: the behavioral consequences of cognitive representation of ethnic immigrant groups.

Ethnophaulisms are the words used as slurs to refer to ethnic immigrant outgroups. This article explores the effects of these cognitive representations of ethnic immigrant groups on exclusion behavior directed toward these immigrant groups. Using archival data spanning a 150-year period of American history, the results of these analyses provide a sobering picture of the effects of the cognitive representation of immigrants: a century and a half of thinking about ethnic immigrant groups in a simplistic and negative manner and a corresponding tendency to exclude those immigrant groups from the receiving society. The implications of these results for theoretical approaches to intergroup relations are considered.

Cognition↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Building healthy communities with immigrants and refugees.

Immigration fueled by large population shifts across international borders will be an ongoing phenomenon throughout the world for the foreseeable future. Forces raising concern for the development of healthy immigrant communities in the United States are the scapegoating of immigrants as the cause of many of the problems of society, a growing lack of tolerance for diversity, and the need for rapid acculturation. A construct of what constitutes healthy communities for immigrants is discussed. The construct is built around the concepts of convergent stereotyping, solidarity, and agency. To help build healthy communities, transcultural nurses must assist other nurses and health care providers to function from a transcultural posture to develop culture competence, reconceptualize how immigrants are viewed, avoid reductionism of the immigrant experience into a psycho-emotional phenomenon, and actualize human development as part of community development.

Community Health Nursing↗

PubMed1996

A comparative review of psychosocial and occupational environment in native Swedes and immigrants.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate potential differences in psychosocial status and work environment between native Swedes and immigrants living in Gothenburg, Sweden. A number of psychiatric, occupational and socio-economic factors were analysed by questionnaire in 1040 men born in 1944 out of 1302 selected. The immigrants (n = 182) who participated in the study used psychopharmacological drugs more extensively than native Swedes. They were more dissatisfied, had traits of depression, frequent sleeping problems, dyspepsia and headaches compared with the native Swedes. The immigrants were more often out of work, and those who were gainfully employed were more dissatisfied with their current work and their colleagues, had a lower influence on the work situation, felt a lower degree of work demands, more seldom attempted to alter their work situation when having problems, and had a more frequent desire to change their type of work. Furthermore, immigrants more often than Swedes were living under poor housing standards, indicating a low socio-economic status. They felt a low degree of time pressure and had more often experienced a serious life event compared to native Swedes. It was concluded that immigrants were more affected by psychiatric, occupational and socio-economic disabilities and handicaps than native Swedes, indicating that immigrants are a vulnerable group in Swedish society.

Adjustment Disorders↗

PubMed2001

Appendicectomies in Albanians in Greece: outcomes in a highly mobile immigrant patient population.

BACKGROUND: Albanian immigrants in Greece comprise a highly mobile population with unknown health care profile. We aimed to assess whether these immigrants were more or less likely to undergo laparotomy for suspected appendicitis with negative findings (negative appendicectomy), by performing a controlled study with individual (1:4) matching. We used data from 6 hospitals in the Greek prefecture of Epirus that is bordering Albania. RESULTS: Among a total of 2027 non-incidental appendicectomies for suspected appendicitis performed in 1994-1999, 30 patients with Albanian names were matched (for age, sex, time of operation and hospital) to 120 patients with Greek names. The odds for a negative appendicectomy were 3.4-fold higher (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.24-9.31, p = 0.02) in Albanian immigrants than in matched Greek-name subjects. The difference was most prominent in men (odds ratio 20.0, 95% CI, 1.41-285, p = 0.02) while it was not formally significant in women (odds ratio 1.56, 95% CI, 0.44-5.48). The odds for perforation were 1.25-fold higher in Albanian-name immigrants than in Greek-name patients (95% CI 0.44- 3.57). CONCLUSIONS: Albanian immigrants in Greece are at high risk for negative appendicectomies. Socioeconomic, cultural and language parameters underlying health care inequalities in highly mobile immigrant populations need better study.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

The fertility contribution of Mexican immigration to the United States.

Crucial to the long-term contribution of immigration to a receiving country's population is the extent to which the immigrants reproduce themselves in subsequent, native-born generations. Using conventional projection methodologies, this fertility contribution may be poorly estimated primarily because of problems in projecting the number of immigrants who are at risk of childbearing. We propose an alternative method that obviates the need to project the number of immigrants by using the full sending-country birth cohort as the risk group to project their receiving-country childbearing. This "sending-country birth cohort" method is found to perform dramatically better than conventional methods when projecting to 1999 from base years both before and after the large increase in inflows of Mexican immigrants to the United States in the late 1980s. Projecting forward from 1999, we estimate a cumulative contribution of Mexican immigrant fertility from the 1980s to 2040 of 36 million births, including 25% to 50% more births after 1995 than are projected using conventional methods.

Birth Rate↗

PubMed2006

Unhealthy assimilation: why do immigrants converge to American health status levels?

It is well documented that immigrants are in better health upon arrival in the United States than their American counterparts but that this health advantage erodes over time. We study the potential determinants of this "healthy immigrant effect, " with a particular focus on the tendency of immigrants to converge to unhealthy American BMI levels. Using data from the National Health Interview Survey, we find that average female and male immigrants enter the United States with BMIs that are approximately two and five percentage points lower than native-born women and men, respectively. Consistent with the declining health status of immigrants the longer they remain in the United States, we also find that female immigrants almost completely converge to American BMIs within 10 years of arrival, and men close a third of the gap within 15 years.

Acculturation↗

PubMed2000

Health services for immigrant children: opportunities under Title XXI.

This article notes the health care risks for immigrant children and describes recent restrictions on their ability to apply for Medicaid. It is reasonable to estimate that by the year 2001, there could be as many as two million immigrant children in the United States who are ineligible for Medicaid simply due to their immigration status. The article also describes the opportunities under the new federal law, Title XXI of the Social Security Act, which enables states to develop health care programs specifically for low-income immigrant children who are ineligible for Medicaid. Pediatricians, advocates for children, and health care providers who serve immigrant communities can use their knowledge of the opportunities in this new law to work with state lawmakers and health policy officials to help provide services to needy immigrant children.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1996

Bone mineral density in immigrants from southern China to Denmark. A cross-sectional study.

Immigration from Japan to USA has been shown to increase bone mineral density (BMD) and body fat in women. The effects of immigration between other geographical areas on bone mass and body composition are largely unknown, especially in men. In the present study, we measured bone mass and body composition by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (Hologic QDR-2000) in 73 healthy premenopausal women (age 35 +/- 8 years) and 69 men (age 40 +/- 12 years) who had immigrated from southern China to Denmark 2 months to 36 years ago. The BMD measurements (Total BMD, trunk BMD and leg BMD) were related positively to years since immigration (YSI) (R2 = 0.10-0.16, p < 0.05) in premenopausal women, but not in men. Fat distribution was related mainly to age in both premenopausal women and men (R2 = 0.16-0.26, p < 0.05). For comparison, we included 51 white, Danish premenopausal women (age 36 +/- 6 years). Chinese premenopausal women with a YSI below or equal to 12 years (N = 38) had significantly lower total and regional BMD (trunk, legs, arms) (p < 0.05), while women with a YSI above 12 years (N = 35) had significantly lower BMD in the legs only (p < 0.05) when compared to the Danish premenopausal women. After correction for age weight and height, Chinese premenopausal women with a YSI below or equal to 12 years still had significantly lower BMD in all regions (4-7%, p < 0.05), whereas no differences in BMD were found between Chinese premenopausal women with a YSI above 12 years compared with Danish premenopausal women. In conclusion, Chinese premenopausal women who immigrated to Denmark more than 12 years ago have a similar BMD to that of Danish premenopausal women. In the group who immigrated less than 12 years ago, a significantly lower BMD was found.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Diagnostics upon hospital release of immigrants in the city of Valencia, Spain (2001-2002)].

BACKGROUND: Immigration has increased remarkably in Spain over the past ten years. For theoretical reasons, the question has been raised as to whether this population may possibly be responsible for a rise in the incidence and/or transmission of infectious diseases. However, very few studies have been conducted regarding the diseases among this group which would afford the possibility of ascertaining the importance of this statement. This study is aimed at quantifying the hospital care provided to this population in the city of Valencia. METHODS: The hospital release records were obtained from the Admissions Departments of the public hospitals in the city of Valencia. A one-year retrospective observational study was conducted throughout the October 1, 2001-September 30, 2002 period. RESULTS: We retrieved 8,444 hospital admissions identifying 1,577 hospital admissions of immigrants. Similar percentages of immigrants recorded with their documentation in proper order (841; 51.16%) and immigrants supposedly undocumented (803; 48.84%) were found. Females (68.3%) were predominant over males (31.7%), and a mean age of under 30 years of age. The most frequent diagnosis on release was "pregnancy, childbirth and post-partum-related complications", totaling 37.7% of all releases, others involving, "injuries and poisoning" (12.9%), "digestive tract diseases" (7.8%) and "respiratory tract diseases" (5.4%), "Infectious and parasitic diseases" totaled 4.4%. CONCLUSIONS: The percentage of infectious and infectious-contagious diseases found did not contribute to encouraging the opinions disseminated regarding the importing or re-emergence of diseases from the immigrant groups. The en masse immigration which has taken place requires many adaptations of the Healthcare System to afford the possibility of setting out the health profile for this group based on population estimates.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Cultural factors and medication compliance in Chinese immigrants who are taking antihypertensive medications: instrument development.

Chinese immigrants in the United States have a moderate to high prevalence of hypertension, but little is known about antihypertensive medication compliance in Chinese immigrants. This study presents some first-generation measures of antihypertensive medication compliance in a sample of Chinese immigrants. A literature review and two qualitative pilot studies were conducted to generate culturally sensitive instruments. Items were developed to assess cultural factors and medication compliance in Chinese immigrants receiving antihypertensive medications. Cultural factors included measures of cultural health perception of hypertension, health perceptions of Chinese herbs, health perceptions of Western medications, beneficial self-care behaviors, and social support. Four medication compliance scales were developed. The applicability of these scales was tested in a Chinese immigrant population (n=200). Cronbach's alpha for the cultural factors scales ranged from .57 to .91. Two of the medication compliance scales had Cronbach's alphas above .60. Results showed that most of the scales are applicable and acceptable in a Chinese immigrant population and had good reliability. However, further testing with a larger sample in other regions of the country is indicated.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Inclusion of immigrant status in smoking prevalence statistics.

OBJECTIVES: Data from the 1995-1996 and 1998-1999 Current Population Survey tobacco use supplements were used to examine smoking prevalence statistics by race/ethnicity and immigrant status. METHODS: Smoking prevalence statistics were calculated, and these data were decomposed by country of birth for Asian immigrants to illustrate the heterogeneity in smoking rates present within racial/ethnic groups. RESULTS: Except in the case of male Asian/Pacific Islanders, immigrants exhibited significantly lower smoking prevalence rates than nonimmigrants. However, rates varied according to country of birth. CONCLUSIONS: This research highlights the need to disaggregate health statistics by race/ethnicity, sex, immigrant status, and, among immigrants, country of birth. Data on immigrants' health behaviors enhance the development of targeted and culturally sensitive public health smoking prevention programs.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Paragonimiasis cases recently found among immigrants in Japan.

OBJECTIVE: Paragonimiasis is a typical food-borne parasitic disease mainly endemic in Southeast Asia. In Japan, the disease has been re-emerging since the 1980s. In addition, recently we encountered an increasing number of immigrants with paragonimiasis in Japan. In this study we summarized the clinical features of immigrants. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Among a total of 152 paragonimiasis cases referred to and diagnosed in our laboratory during 1998 to 2002, 18 were immigrants. Their clinical features including laboratory data such as eosinophilia and total IgE level were gathered from the consultation sheets from attending physicians. RESULTS: Among a total of 18 immigrant cases, 16 were from China and 2 from Thailand. A majority of immigrants had eaten freshwater crabs. Most of the Chinese patients were infected as small groups of family and/or compatriots. Chest radiographic findings were variable and multiple lung lesions were seen in about one-half of the patients. About 80% of patients had peripheral blood eosinophilia and 65% had elevated serum IgE level. CONCLUSION: The clinical features of paragonimiasis in immigrants in Japan were much more severe compared to those of Japanese patients.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Lack of acculturation is a risk factor for diabetes in arab immigrants in the US.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between dysglycemia (impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, and diabetes) and acculturation, physical activity, and perceived stress in Arab immigrants in the U.S. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: In a cross-sectional population-based study, we examined 520 Arab Americans, aged 20-75 years, who were born in the Middle East and immigrated to southeastern Michigan. Dysglycemia was assessed by history and with a 2-h 75-g oral glucose tolerance test. Acculturation, physical activity, and perceived stress were measured with standardized questionnaires. RESULTS: Associations were found between dysglycemia in men and older age at immigration, unemployment, speaking Arabic with friends, being less active in Arabic organizations, more frequent consumption of Arabic food, and less integration into American society. Dysglycemia in women was associated with being raised in rural areas of the Middle East, older age at immigration, longer length of stay in the U.S., not being employed outside the home, less than high school education, not attending Arabic or American schools, and not being able to read Arabic. Among men, older age at immigration, shorter length of stay in the U.S., less activity in Arab organizations, and eating Arabic food were associated with dysglycemia independent of age and BMI. Among women, acculturation was very low and was confounded with age and BMI as powerful risk factors for dysglycemia. No association was found between physical activity, perceived stress, and the risk of dysglycemia in either sex. CONCLUSIONS: Lack of acculturation is an important risk factor for dysglycemia in immigrant Arab Americans. Intervention programs aimed at diabetes prevention should consider the acculturation process.

Acculturation↗