Examining a paradox: does religiosity contribute to positive birth outcomes in Mexican American populations?

Abstract

A particularly interesting and consistent finding regarding the health of the Latino population is that Mexican American women, despite their relatively lower socioeconomic status, deliver significantly fewer low birth weight babies and lose fewer babies to all causes during infancy than do women of other ethnic groups. A central thesis of this discussion is that the religiosity and spirituality of many of these Latinas, a key factor in their culture, may protect them and their infants through the pre- and antenatal phases of life. We also suggest that lack of research, related to cultural similarities and differences in Hispanic/Latino subgroups, can lead to faulty or simplistic understanding regarding their health behavior and health status.