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1 – 10 of over 2000
Article
Publication date: 1 March 2006

Patrick A. Rivers and Fausto G. Patino

Latinos comprise 12.5 percent of the overall population in the USA, and are the fastest‐growing minority, among which the Mexican‐origin population makes up about 66 percent…

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Abstract

Purpose

Latinos comprise 12.5 percent of the overall population in the USA, and are the fastest‐growing minority, among which the Mexican‐origin population makes up about 66 percent. Undocumented Latino immigrants are a small, yet important group within the immigrant population. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature and discuss the most important factors that prevent immigrants from accessing health care.

Design/methodology/approach

Literature review was conducted from the library database. A total of 50 items of literature related to the subject were reviewed.

Findings

Border states have the highest concentration of Mexican‐origin people. The concentration of immigrants in the border has unique health and economic implications due to the vital role they have in US society, contributing both to the economy and diversity of the USA. Despite their important role, they disproportionately lack health insurance, and receive fewer health care services than US‐born citizens. This lack of insurance puts a burden on the nation's economy, and their health status deteriorates as they become more prone to chronic health conditions, and their complications due to lack of primary medical attention.

Originality/value

Tailored public health interventions that address the health needs of Latino immigrants in the USA need to be based on reliable data and statistics in order to effectively place resources, and to track achievements and flaws.

Details

International Journal of Social Economics, vol. 33 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0306-8293

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 7 January 2019

Brian Karl Finch

The fact that Mexican immigrants are healthier than their US-born co-ethnics has been well established. The subsequent observation that this health advantage diminishes over time…

Abstract

The fact that Mexican immigrants are healthier than their US-born co-ethnics has been well established. The subsequent observation that this health advantage diminishes over time and with increased acculturation is confirmed by only limited research and is severely compromised by several methodological shortcomings. Our analysis directly tests the acculturation hypothesis by investigating childhood health at an early age; specifically, we explore the relationships between birth-weight, primary language spoken, maternal nativity, and stature for age (SFA) among a sample of respondents to the NHANES III Youth survey data. Results indicate that a substantially large portion of the health advantages transferred from mother to child among the Mexican-born are due to birth-weight advantages. After controlling for health advantages conferred at birth among the foreign-born, language differences fully account for nativity differences between Mexican- and US-born mothers, suggesting an additional protective effect of Spanish-language maintenance and lending evidence to the hypothesis that language-based acculturation erodes health among Mexican Americans.

Details

Immigration and Health
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78743-062-4

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 August 2017

M. Amalia Pesantes and Patricia I. Documet

The purpose of this paper is to describe and discuss the limitations of strategies that mothers of undocumented Latino children use in an emerging community to address the health

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe and discuss the limitations of strategies that mothers of undocumented Latino children use in an emerging community to address the health needs of their children.

Design/methodology/approach

In-depth interviews with low-income immigrant mothers of undocumented Latino children (n=10) and social service providers (n=6). Interviews were transcribed, coded using Atlas-ti and analyzed to identify common perspectives on the strategies used to secure healthcare for uninsured undocumented children.

Findings

Mothers of undocumented Latino children struggle to secure healthcare for their children. Based on the principles of familismo and personalismo, they rely on social support networks such as friends, relatives and fellow churchgoers to secure information about available healthcare options. Despite the willingness of social and health service providers to help them access healthcare, options are limited and depend on the actions of individuals rather than organized solutions. Securing care for undocumented children using families, friends and sympathetic individual providers as the source of information and advice leads to fragile unsustainable solutions.

Research limitations/implications

This paper adds to the small yet growing literature of Latinos in emerging communities.

Practical implications

Emerging Latino communities are usually unprepared to welcome Latinos and address its various needs. Undocumented children are a particularly vulnerable group and any sustainable strategy to address their needs would require structural changes in existing health services to ensure that undocumented children’s lives are not affected by poor health.

Originality/value

Healthcare access problems for immigrant children are presented from the perspective of parents and offers a nuanced description of health systems unpreparedness to provide care for vulnerable groups whose immigrant status is poorly understood.

Details

International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care, vol. 13 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1747-9894

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 March 2017

Kelsey S. Dickson, Sasha M. Zeedyk, Jonathan Martinez and Rachel Haine-Schlagel

Well-documented ethnic disparities exist in the identification and provision of quality services among children receiving community-based mental health services. These disparities…

Abstract

Purpose

Well-documented ethnic disparities exist in the identification and provision of quality services among children receiving community-based mental health services. These disparities extend to parent treatment engagement, an important component of effective mental health services. Currently, little is known about differences in how providers support parents’ participation in treatment and the degree to which parents actively participate in it. The purpose of this paper is to examine potential differences in both provider and parent in-session participation behaviours.

Design/methodology/approach

Participants included 17 providers providing standard community-based mental health treatment for 18 parent-child dyads, with 44 per cent of the dyads self-identifying as Hispanic/Latino. In-session participation was measured with the parent participation engagement in child psychotherapy and therapist alliance, collaboration, and empowerment strategies observational coding systems.

Findings

Overall, results indicate significantly lower levels of parent participation behaviours among Hispanic/Latino families compared to their Non-Hispanic/Non-Latino counterparts. No significant differences were seen in providers’ in-session behaviours to support parent participation across Hispanic/Latino and Non-Hispanic/Non-Latino families.

Research limitations/implications

These findings contribute to the literature on ethnic differences in parent treatment engagement by utilising measures of in-session provider and parent behaviours and suggest that further investigation is warranted to documenting and understanding ethnic disparities in parents’ participation in community-based child mental health treatment.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the evaluation of differences in parent treatment engagement through demonstrating the utility of an in-session observational coding system as a measure of treatment engagement.

Book part
Publication date: 24 September 2015

Yuping Mao and Lu Shi

Past studies have shown that acculturation has been linked with media consumption (Shi, 2005; Shohat & Stam, 1996). Some risky health behaviors are associated with immigrants’…

Abstract

Purpose

Past studies have shown that acculturation has been linked with media consumption (Shi, 2005; Shohat & Stam, 1996). Some risky health behaviors are associated with immigrants’ acculturation into the American society. In this study, we investigate the association between Latino adolescents’ recreational use of media with acculturation as related to risky health behaviors such as the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, the experience of getting sunburns, smoking, and drinking alcohol.

Methodology/approach

Regression models were run to analyze the Latino adolescent subsample (aged 12–17) of the 2009 California Health Interview Survey (Ponce et al., 2004).

Findings

The regression models show that weekend television and video gaming are significantly associated with the number of sunburns one had in the past year (incident rate ratio = 1.008, z = 2.73), and weekend recreational computer use is significantly associated with the number of cans of soda with sugar one drank during the previous day (incident rate ratio = 1.003, z = 2.09). The use of English for the interview, age, parents’ educational attainment, household size, and gender are also found to be associated with different acculturation-related risky health behaviors investigated in this study.

Originality/value

This study is the first to analyze media consumption’s association with sunburn among Latino adolescents. Our findings indicate that among Latino adolescents in the United States, a large amount of media consumption can lead to risky health behaviors that were not common in Latin America. Therefore, parents should heed possible behavioral consequences when they decide on the amount of media exposure children have.

Details

Technology and Youth: Growing Up in a Digital World
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78560-265-8

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 14 December 2017

Joanna Kaftan

Federal immigration policy embodies national ideas about membership. Nevertheless, attitudes toward immigration within a nation are not invariable. Regional policies vary…

Abstract

Federal immigration policy embodies national ideas about membership. Nevertheless, attitudes toward immigration within a nation are not invariable. Regional policies vary dramatically in their support or antagonism toward immigrants. In addition, immigration policy profoundly affects other areas of governmental authority. This chapter explores the relationship between state-level immigration policy and family reunification for Hispanic/Latino children in the United States. The quantitative analysis utilizes data from the National Council of State Legislatures (NCSL) (2008–2014) as well as data gathered from the Child Welfare Outcomes Report published by the Department of Health and Human Services. The results show that while Hispanic/Latino children are not overrepresented in the child welfare systems of the states with the most antagonistic legislation, they are returned to the custody of their parent(s) in smaller percentages compared to whites in the states with the most antagonistic bills compared with the states with the most supportive bills.

Details

On the Cross Road of Polity, Political Elites and Mobilization
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78635-480-8

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 7 January 2019

Jacqueline M. Torres, Annie Ro and May Sudhinaraset

Age at migration is commonly utilized as a proxy measure for assimilation in health behavior research. We reconsider this approach by examining the role of continued connection…

Abstract

Age at migration is commonly utilized as a proxy measure for assimilation in health behavior research. We reconsider this approach by examining the role of continued connection with places of origin on alcohol use, an important marker of health behavior and overall population health. Cross-border connections may buffer the association between earlier age at migration and alcohol use by providing an alternative channel of influence for behavioral norms. Alternatively, a stress and coping perspective on cross-border ties suggests potentially countervailing adverse impacts of these connections on alcohol use. We used data from the 2002/2003 National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS) (n = 1,641/1,630 Asian and Latino origin respondents, respectively). We first estimated the association between age at migration (child/adolescent versus adult migrant) and any past-year alcohol use. We subsequently tested the interaction between age at migration and two measures of cross-border connections. All models were stratified by region of origin and gender. For Latin American-origin women, cross-border ties were associated with increased risk of past-year alcohol use among those who migrated early in life. In contrast, Asian-origin men and women who migrated as adults and had contact with family and friends abroad had the lowest predicted probabilities of past-year alcohol use. The results among Asians support the idea that cross-border ties may be alternative influences on health behavior outcomes, particularly for adult migrants. Overall, we find qualified support for both transnational and assimilationist perspectives on alcohol use behaviors among US immigrants – as well as the interaction between these two frameworks. The joint influences of cross-border ties and age at migration were observed primarily for immigrant women, and not always in expected directions. We nevertheless urge future research to consider both US and country of origin influences on a wider range of health and health behavior outcomes for immigrants, as well as the potential intersection between US and cross-border connections.

Details

Immigration and Health
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78743-062-4

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 June 2017

Cynthia Morton, Sebastian Galindo, Maria Morera, Naa Dodoo, Cristobal Gonzalez, Linwan Wu, Suzanne Fundingsland, Kendra Auguste, Lauren Headrick, Paul Monaghan and Karla Shelnutt

The purpose of this paper is to present a case study of the research steps taken to identify message directions for a community-wide health communication campaign aimed at…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a case study of the research steps taken to identify message directions for a community-wide health communication campaign aimed at supporting healthier eating behaviors among Latino farmworker families in the Immokalee community in Florida. Latino mothers were targeted to understand their beliefs about children’s healthy eating needs and identify communication campaign opportunities that would reinforce choices made in the home, surrounding meal planning, food selection and preparation and portion sizes.

Design/methodology/approach

A sequential mixed-methods approach using focus group, group interview and qualitative message concept testing was used in three distinct stages of research exploration. An independent sample was recruited at each stage through convenience sampling and snowball sampling methods. The stages of change theory provided a framework for research inquiry in the context of healthy eating-at-home practices.

Findings

In general, mothers were aware and participatory in the effort to serve healthy meals for their children at home. The time and money associated with buying nutritious foods and cooking healthy meals daily was stressful, but they were receptive to communication efforts to help them maintain their commitment to give their children healthy foods. These findings provided directional opportunities for the discovery and implementation of health communication strategies. Test results found that the target was most receptive to message strategies that acknowledged the responsibility of both parents to model healthy eating practices to children.

Research limitations/implications

Recruiting resulted in small sample sizes at each stage of the investigation. The reliability of quantitative measurement was a limitation to the research conclusions.

Practical implications

Partnership with the audience from discovery to conceptualization resulted in messages that uniquely resonated with the audience for which they were aimed. Understanding about the target stage of readiness improves message effectiveness to the target group.

Social implications

Health communication campaigns planned and developed with the target audience at its center will generate message strategies that effectively address issues of greatest relevance to those communication agents that seek to change.

Originality/value

The study provides a unique exploration of the steps that health communication agents should pursue to establish a thorough profile of their target audience and the issues that resonate when considering healthy eating behavior at home. The application of the stages of the change model encouraged the discovery of issues surrounding the challenge and highlighted potential obstacles that would mitigate the behavior change efforts.

Details

International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing, vol. 11 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-6123

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 December 2014

Kya Fawley-King, Emily Trask, Nancy E. Calderón, Gregory A. Aarons and Ann F. Garland

The purpose of this paper is to examine the implementation and adaptation of group Triple P, an evidence-based parenting intervention developed in Australia, for a Latina…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the implementation and adaptation of group Triple P, an evidence-based parenting intervention developed in Australia, for a Latina population living in the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

Mothers with pre-school age children participated in the programme, which was offered by a community mental health agency. The final study sample consisted of 174 Latina mothers.

Findings

Participation in group Triple P was associated with clinically significant improvements in maternal mental health, parenting styles, and child behaviour problems. Additionally, mothers reported high levels of satisfaction with the programme.

Practical implications

Triple P is a promising intervention for Latina caregivers who are concerned about the behaviour of their young children. It can be implemented successfully into community-based mental health care systems.

Originality/value

This is the first study to examine the applicability of Triple P to Latina caregivers.

Details

Journal of Children's Services, vol. 9 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1746-6660

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 May 2009

Rachel Slough

This paper seeks to provide a guide to significant primary and secondary resources relevant to the study of Latino health in the USA. It builds on prior scholarship to reflect the…

818

Abstract

Purpose

This paper seeks to provide a guide to significant primary and secondary resources relevant to the study of Latino health in the USA. It builds on prior scholarship to reflect the most valuable resources published from 1997 to 2007.

Design/methodology/approach

Many materials were identified through bibliographies, online catalogs, and the worldwide web. Citation analysis, supported by book reviews published in professional and academic journals, was used to determine impact. All resources were annotated by the author after personal examination.

Findings

The paper introduces each resource, describing its content and relevance to the study of Latino health.

Originality/value

Latinos are among the fastest growing minorities in the USA. Although several guides address multicultural health care, few focus solely on the specific needs and issues of Latino health. Moreover, existing resource guides, both on multicultural health care and on Latinos, are at least 12 years old. This guide highlights the most recent developments about this topic.

Details

Reference Services Review, vol. 37 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0090-7324

Keywords

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