Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Volume 14, Issue 2, 2012, Pages 216-222

Preconception wellness: Differences in health by immigrant status (Article)

Xaverius P.K.* , Salas J. , Tenkku L.E.
  • a Department of Family and Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Saint Louis University, 1402 S. Grand Blvd., Saint Louis, MO 63104, United States
  • b Department of Family and Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Saint Louis University, 1402 S. Grand Blvd., Saint Louis, MO 63104, United States
  • c Department of Family and Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Saint Louis University, 1402 S. Grand Blvd., Saint Louis, MO 63104, United States

Abstract

Disparities in health between immigrant and non-immigrant pregnant women in the United States is well documented, but few have documented disparities before pregnancy. Using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2006), we examined the health of reproductive-aged women (8,095), sorted by immigrant and pregnancy pregnant US-born (P-US), pregnant foreignborn (P-FB), non-pregnant US-born (NP-US), and nonpregnant foreignborn (NP-FB). P-US women were 5.2 times more likely to report illicit drug use than P-FB women. NP-US women were 3.7 times more likely to report illicit drugs use, 45% less likely to have a normal BMI, 2.0 times more likely to binge drink, 7.6 times more likely to smoke, 1.6 times more likely to engage in moderate physical activity, and 1.7 times more likely to use birth control than NP-FB women. The lower prevalence of numerous destructive health behaviors among preconceptional immigrant women is an important finding. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011.

Author Keywords

Lifestyle Behaviors Preconception Immigrant

Index Keywords

maternal care lifestyle Life Style health disparity Health Status Disparities human Health Behavior statistics Health Surveys ethnology United States Young Adult Humans Adolescent Preconception Care Emigrants and Immigrants female Socioeconomic Factors socioeconomics pregnancy Article adult migration Child health survey
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84860840457&doi=10.1007%2fs10903-010-9424-7&partnerID=40&md5=d612fdb11adb80004394595e2f0914c9
DOI: 10.1007/s10903-010-9424-7
ISSN: 15571912
Cited by: 3
Original Language: English