Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Volume 13, Issue 6, 2011, Pages 1142-1149

A pilot binational study of health behaviors and immigration (Article) (Open Access)

Hennessy-Burt T.E.* , Stoecklin-Marois M.T. , Meneses-González F. , Schenker M.B.
  • a Department of Public Health Sciences, Center for Health and the Environment, University of California, Davis, 129, Old Davis Road, Davis, CA 95616, United States
  • b Department of Public Health Sciences, Center for Health and the Environment, University of California, Davis, 129, Old Davis Road, Davis, CA 95616, United States
  • c Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
  • d Department of Public Health Sciences, Center for Health and the Environment, University of California, Davis, 129, Old Davis Road, Davis, CA 95616, United States

Abstract

In the US, Mexican immigrant women often have better health outcomes than non-Hispanic white women despite a greater health risk profile. This cross-sectional pilot study compared women living in Chavinda, Michoacán (n = 102) to women who had migrated from Mexico to Madera, California (n = 93). The interview gathered information on acculturation and risk behaviors including smoking, alcohol use and number of sexual partners. The results suggest that more acculturated women living in the US are more likely to consume alcohol. US residence and higher acculturation level was marginally associated with having more than one sexual partner. There were no differences between odds of smoking among Chavinda and Madera women. While results with acculturation are not consistently significant due to small sample sizes, the results are suggestive that acculturation among immigrant Hispanic women in the US may be associated with adverse health behaviors, and selective migration seems less likely to account for these differences. © 2010 The Author(s).

Author Keywords

Hispanic Binational health behaviors Acculturation Immigration

Index Keywords

human Health Behavior middle aged ethnology Mexico Cross-Sectional Studies interview United States Young Adult cross-sectional study Humans Adolescent California Interviews as Topic Acculturation female pilot study questionnaire cultural factor Article high risk behavior Risk-Taking Questionnaires adult migration Emigration and Immigration Pilot Projects
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-80755187521&doi=10.1007%2fs10903-010-9387-8&partnerID=40&md5=6b7ff769573c44b5c8bb8725c808c3b8
DOI: 10.1007/s10903-010-9387-8
ISSN: 15571912
Cited by: 10
Original Language: English