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Home / The Physical and Psychological Well-Being of Immigrant Children
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The Physical and Psychological Well-Being of Immigrant Children

Tuesday, March 01, 2011
Author(s): 
Krista M. Perreira and India J. Ornelas
Source: 
Future of Children

Poor childhood health contributes to lower socioeconomic status in adulthood, and in turn, adults with lower socioeconomic status end up contributing poor health outcomes to their children. Health professionals and policymakers must promote the physical and psychological well-being of immigrant children to avoid a cycle where economically disadvantaged adults pass on health risks to their children, according to a 2011 report from the Immigrant Children issue of The Future of Children.

Foreign-born children who immigrate to the U.S. usually exhibit lower health risks than their native peers. However, the health outcomes of immigrant children usually worsen over time.

For example, researchers have discovered that the rate of childhood obesity is lower among foreign-born youth, but that the likelihood that an immigrant is overweight or obese increases as the children become adults. Diet significantly contributes to excessive weight among children and adolescents. As immigrants become more acculturated to U.S. society, they adopt American diets, which usually include greater amounts of fat, processed meats, snack foods, and fast foods than the diets in their countries of origin.

A study using the 2001 California Health Interview Survey found that Asian and Latino foreign-born youth drank fewer sodas and ate more fruits and vegetables than non-Hispanic white U.S.-born children. But for Latinos, fruit and vegetable consumption decreased and their soda consumption increased over time, putting them at a higher risk for obesity.

Health care access is vital for the overall well-being of immigrant children, yet they are less likely to have health insurance or easy access to care because of fear of being deported or detained. Most immigrant children without health care seek treatment only when a problem has become severe.

According to the report, 56 percent of children with two immigrant parents and 66 percent of children with one foreign-born and one U.S.-born parent do not enroll for public health insurance even though they are eligible.

The report suggests that health care researchers and policymakers improve their understanding of the plights of immigrant children in order to know what tools, such as better access to medical care, will aid them the most.

Researchers also cited that having doctors who are culturally competent and respectful of the values of immigrant families are extremely important in encouraging these populations to feel comfortable participating in health care.

 

The Future of Children is a collaboration of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and the Brookings Institution.  It aims to translate social science research about children and youth into information that is useful to policymakers, practitioners, grant-makers, advocates, the media, and students of public policy.

 Read the report.

 

Tags:

  • new american children
  • immigration
  • health
  • nutrition
  • health care

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About

The Journalism Center on Children & Families (JCCF) (1993-2014) was devoted to deepening media coverage on issues that affect children, youth and families, particularly the disadvantaged. JCCF provided an array of informational services and connected professional journalists, students and advocates to an extensive network of journalists and content experts. JCCF was based at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland.

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JCCF curated daily news content and cutting-edge research about children and families from a wide variety of media, government, academic and public policy sources. The Center provided guidance to journalists seeking sources, tips, experts, data or assistance with ethical dilemmas.

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JCCF was launched in 1993 with support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation to create a professional community of practice for reporters whose primary beat was covering children and families. Over 21 years, JCCF offered conferences and fellowship programs to enhance skills and knowledge on a variety of issues, from juvenile justice to preschool education, welfare reform to health care. With support from the Ms. Foundation for Women, the Center created “Beyond The Headlines,” an in-depth resource for reporting on child sexual abuse. The Center produced “When a Child Dies,” an interactive online training module to assist reporters covering child deaths. And, the Center created "LIFELINES: Stories from the Human Safety Net," which included original reporting and resources for reporting on social work.

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