Full Citation
Title: The Healthy Immigrant Effect: Assessing the Physical Health of Immigrants in the United States
Citation Type: Dissertation/Thesis
Publication Year: 2011
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Abstract: This study examined how well socio-demographic factors (including health insurance), global region of birth, and acculturation (as measured by length of stay) predict the physical health of immigrants in the United States. The study also tests the mediation effect of health behavior and insurance on the relationship(s) between socio-demographic characteristics, global region of birth, acculturation and physical health. There is an overwhelming indication from previous research that acculturation is a determinant of health. Due to the complexity in defining acculturation, various measures have been utilized as evidenced in the literature. Measurements of acculturation have included indirect measures such as length of stay and language preference, especially where data is limited with regards to direct measures such as dietary habits and structural assimilation. This study uses a proxy measure for acculturation or length of stay. Acculturation theory posits that the decline in general health status among immigrants is due to acculturation, and that this decline depends with the level of acculturation. Various health outcomes including BMI and self-rated health have been used to ascertain this proposition. Data from the 2005-2009 National Health Interview Study (NHIS) were used to assess the degree to which predictor variables (age, gender, marital status, educational attainment, employment status, and global region of birth); length of stay; health insurance; and health behavior (cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical inactivity) explain physical health. This study proposes an aggregate measure of physical health, particularly poor physical health, which combines self-rated health, and the presence of chronic conditions/ diseases into a summary score. A binomial logistic regression and complex samples are used for analyses. Results indicate that acculturation was a determinant of physical health even after controlling for socio-demographic factors. While health behavior and insurance did not have a mediating effect, insurance showed statistically significant suppressor effects on employment. Results also showed that BMI is a problematic measure of physical health. This was evidenced by the reliability coefficient of the physical health (dependent variable) when BMI was included (cronbach alpha= .323) and reliability coefficient when BMI was excluded (cronbach alpha= .92) from the physical health summary score.
Url: https://search.proquest.com/docview/878548908/abstract/4163AF632245440EPQ/1?accountid=14586
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Authors: Wafula, Edith, G
Institution: Howard University
Department: Sociology and Anthropology
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Degree: Doctor of Philosophy
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Pages: 146
Data Collections: IPUMS Health Surveys - NHIS
Topics: Migration and Immigration
Countries: United States