Ethnic and Immigration Status Differences on Child Indicators of Health for European Americans and Latinos

Abstract

This study examined the possibility that ethnicity and immigration status were both related to perceived health and Body Mass Index (BMI) for Latino and European American children. Social identity and comparison theories were used to frame the investigation. A secondary data set comprised of Southern California parents was used for this study. A sample of 165 European American and 152 Latino parents were selected at random and completed a telephone interview about their children’s health. Compared to European Americans, Latino caregivers reported poorer general health and higher BMI for their children. Latino children who had a U.S. citizen caregiver reported better health than did Latino children whose caregiver was not a citizen. Our findings add to the literature on differences in health between European American and Latino children living in the USA and highlight how perceptions of children’s health may differ based on the ethnicity and citizenship status of the caregiver.