Parental Immigrant Status Research Articles

Correlates of child mental health and substance use related emergency department visits in Ontario: A linked population survey and administrative health data study.

Knowledge of the sociodemographic, behavioural, and clinical characteristics of children visiting emergency departments (EDs) for mental health or substance use concerns in Ontario, Canada is lacking. Using data from a population-based survey linked at the individual level to administrative health data, this study leverages a provincially representative sample and quasi-experimental design to strengthen inferences regarding the extent to which children's sociodemographic, behavioural, and clinical characteristics are associated with the risk of a mental health or substance use related ED visit. 9,301 children aged 4-17 years participating in the 2014 Ontario Child Health Study were linked retrospectively (6 months) and prospectively (12 months) with administrative health data on ED visits from the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System. Modified Poisson regression was used to examine correlates of mental health and substance use related ED visits among children aged 4-17 years over a 12-month period following their survey completion date, adjusting for ED visits in the 6 months prior to their survey completion date. Subgroup analyses of youths aged 14-17 years who independently completed survey content related to peer victimisation, substance use, and suicidality were also conducted. Among children aged 4-17 years, older age, parental immigrant status, internalising problems, and perceived need for professional help were statistically significant correlates that increased the risk of a mental health or substance use related ED visit; low-income and suicidal ideation with attempt were statistically significant only among youths aged 14-17 years. Knowledge of the sociodemographic, behavioural, and clinical characteristics of children visiting EDs for mental health and substance use related concerns is required to better understand patient needs to coordinate effective emergency mental health care that optimises child outcomes, and to inform the development and targeting of upstream interventions that have the potential to prevent avoidable ED visits. Growing rates of child mental health and substance use related ED visits have been observed internationally.A population-based survey linked at the individual level to administrative health data was used to examine the extent to which children's sociodemographic, behavioural, and clinical characteristics are associated with the risk of a mental health or substance use related ED visit in Ontario, Canada.Older age, low-income, parental immigrant status, perceived need for professional help, internalising problems, and suicidality increase the risk of an ED visit.Knowledge of the characteristics of children visiting EDs can be used to coordinate effective emergency mental health care that optimises child outcomes, and to inform the development and targeting of upstream interventions that have the potential to prevent avoidable ED visits.

Immigration Status, Legal Vulnerability, and Suicidal/Self-harm Ideation Disparities Among Immigrant-Origin Latinx Young Adults in the U.S.

Theories of suicidality typically center intrapersonal processes, with limited attention to social determinants of mental health disparities. Using a legal vulnerability framework, we examined the association between self/parental immigration status and suicidal and self-harm ideation (SI) disparities in three groups of immigrant-origin Latinx young adults attending college in the USA: undocumented students (n = 564), US citizens with undocumented parents (n = 605), and US citizens with lawfully present parents (n = 596). We also evaluated whether self/parental immigration status differences in SI could be accounted for by six dimensions of legal vulnerability and, based on prominent theories of suicidality, explored the role of campus belongingness as a protective factor. Participants completed self-report measures, and SI was assessed using one item from the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, a screening tool that assesses the severity of depression symptomatology. Rates of SI were significantly higher among undocumented students (23.1%) and US citizens with undocumented parents (24.3%) compared to US citizens with lawfully present parents (17.8%). Immigration policy-related social exclusion and discrimination-mediated self/parental immigration status differences in SI. Although food insecurity did not differ by self/parental immigration status, greater food insecurity was associated with higher likelihood of SI. Greater campus belongingness was associated with a lower likelihood of endorsing SI for all students regardless of immigration status or legal vulnerability factors. Findings underscore the importance of examining self and parental immigration status as a social determinant of SI and the value of investigating aspects of legal vulnerability as explanatory factors.

Immigration-Related Discrimination and Mental Health among Latino Undocumented Students and U.S. Citizen Students with Undocumented Parents: A Mixed-Methods Investigation.

Research has consistently linked discrimination and poorer health; however, fewer studies have focused on immigration-related discrimination and mental health outcomes. Drawing on quantitative surveys (N = 1,131) and qualitative interviews (N = 63) with Latino undergraduate students who are undocumented or U.S. citizens with undocumented parents, we examine the association between perceived immigration-related discrimination and mental health outcomes and the process through which they are linked. Regression analyses identify an association between immigration-related discrimination and increased levels of depression and anxiety; this relationship did not vary by self and parental immigration status. Interview data shed light on this result as immigration-related discrimination manifested as individual discrimination as well as vicarious discrimination through family and community members. We contend that immigration-related discrimination is not limited to individual experiences but rather is shared within the family and community, with negative implications for the mental health of undocumented immigrants and mixed-status family members.

Validation of the Student-Rated Parental School Involvement Questionnaire: Factorial Validity and Invariance Across Time and Sociodemographic Characteristics

Studies highlighting the importance of parental involvement in schooling have multiplied over the past years. However, well-validated tools assessing the different dimensions of parental involvement are lacking, especially when addressing young students’ perception of their parents’ involvement. This study offers a preliminary validation of the Student-Rated Parental School Involvement Questionnaire (SR-PSIQ); factor structure, measurement invariance, and predictive validity were assessed. Data collected on four measurement occasions from 923 French-Canadian primary school students was used. Results favored a four-factor model (parental expectations, parent–child communication, homework supervision, and school-based involvement). The SR-PSIQ was invariant across time, student gender, parental immigration status, and socioeconomic status. Regarding predictive validity, all dimensions of parental involvement were associated with later student engagement. Overall, the SR-PSIQ is a brief, valid, and reliable instrument that can easily be used by researchers or partitioners who want to understand how parents are involved in their child’s schooling.

Parental Immigration Status, Medicaid Expansion, And Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation.

Anti-immigrant public policies and rhetoric during 2017-19 may have eroded enrollment in safety-net programs, such as the enrollment of children of immigrants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). At the same time, states' expansion of Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act may have mitigated erosion through coordinated enrollment across safety-net programs, including SNAP and Medicaid. We examined changes in SNAP participation rates by parental immigration status among low-income households in 2015-16 versus 2017-19 for differences by child race and ethnicity or state Medicaid expansion status. Relative to those among citizen children with US-born parents, SNAP participation rates among citizen children from mixed-status families and noncitizen children significantly decreased between 2015-16 and 2017-19, with the magnitude of disparity widening over time. Declines in SNAP participation were sharper for Hispanic and Latino children from mixed-status families, Hispanic and Latino noncitizen children, and noncitizen children residing in nonexpansion states. Findings are consistent with some policy makers' concerns of erosion in SNAP participation. Mechanisms that could be employed to help reverse these trends include policies, outreach strategies, and enrollment processes.

Children's Health Insurance Coverage and Parental Immigration Status: 2015-2019.

Rhetoric and policies aimed at restricting immigration to the United States, such as those proposed during the Trump administration, may lead to reduced enrollment in Medicaid for children of immigrants, even those who were legally eligible. This study assessed how children's health insurance coverage changed before versus during the Trump administration by parental immigration status. Using American Community Survey data, we compared changes in rates of uninsurance and Medicaid enrollment for children in the United States before (2015 to 2016) versus during (2017 to 2019) the Trump administration. Children were categorized by parental immigration status: citizen children with US-born parents, citizen children with naturalized parents, children from mixed-status families, or noncitizen children. The study population included 2 963 787 children between 2015 and 2019, representing approximately 64 million children annually. Throughout our study period, uninsurance rates for children from mixed-status families and noncitizen children were higher than citizen children with United States-born parents. Beginning in 2017, there were significant increases in uninsurance among children from mixed-status families (0.48 percentage points [PP], 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.06 to 0.91) that increased to 1.48 PP (95% CI: 0.98 to 1.99) by 2019 when compared with concurrent trends among citizen children with US-born parents. Changes were accompanied by significant decreases in Medicaid enrollment by 2019 (-0.89 PP, 95% CI: -1.62 to -0.16). There were substantial disparities in uninsurance rates by parental immigration status. Compared with citizen children with US-born parents, uninsurance rates among children from mixed-status families significantly increased between 2017 and 2019, with the magnitude of disparity widening over time.

Immigrant Status and Ethnic Inequities in Dental Caries in Children: Bilbao, Spain.

This study examined the migratory status/ethnic inequities in dental caries in school children aged 4–9 years (n = 1388) and the impact of the Children’s Oral Health Program in the Municipality of Bilbao in the Basque Country Region, Spain. Using the 2017 Children’s Oral Health Survey, log binomial regression was used to quantify the association of parental immigration status/ethnicity with tooth decay for (1) the primary and the permanent dentitions, separately, in children 4–9 years old; and (2) for the permanent dentition in children aged 7–9 years. Compared with Spanish children, Spanish Roma and immigrant children had a higher probability of tooth decay in primary and permanent teeth after adjustment. Similarly, Spanish Roma and immigrant children had a higher probability of caries experience in primary and permanent teeth. In children aged 7–9 years, Spanish Roma children had a greater probability of tooth decay and caries experience (DMFT index ≥ 1; PR: 6.20; 95% CI: 3.18, 12.12; and PR: 4.52; 95% CI: 2.46, 8.32; respectively) compared with Spanish Children. These associations were not observed in immigrant children. This study shows that parental immigration status and/or ethnicity affect caries outcomes in immigrant and Roma children in both primary and permanent dentition.

Mental Health and COVID-19 Pandemic Stressors Among Latina/o/x College Students with Varying Self and Parental Immigration Status

The COVID-19 pandemic has produced significant psychological distress for college students due to the sudden proliferation of stressors. We examine whether and how self and parental immigration status contributes to Latina/o/x college students’ mental health and pandemic stressors during the initial months of the pandemic. We draw on quantitative and qualitative survey data collected in March–June 2020 with 1,600 Latina/o/x University of California undergraduate students from three self-identified groups: undocumented students, US citizens with at least one undocumented parent, and US citizens with lawfully present parents. Quantitative analyses reveal that the pandemic produced widespread negative mental health effects but the severity of these effects did not differ by self/parental immigration status. Our qualitative analyses identify common pandemic-related stressors across our three student groups (financial insecurity, COVID-19 virus concerns, academic strains, and social dynamics); however, undocumented students and US citizens with undocumented parents identify unique aspects of these stressors due to legal vulnerabilities. Self and parental undocumented status also compromises the ability to manage common pandemic stressors because of immigration status-related exclusion from necessary resources. Ultimately, we argue that the high-stress nature of the pandemic elevated mental distress across all student groups, but the structural exclusion of undocumented immigrants contributes to unique experiences of stress among Latina/o/x undocumented students and US citizen students with undocumented parents.

Parental perceived immigration threat and children's mental health, self-regulation and executive functioning in pre-Kindergarten.

Many children in immigrant households endure unique stressors shaped by national, state, and local immigration policies and enforcement activity in the United States. Qualitative studies find that during times of heightened immigration enforcement, children as young as 3 years of age show signs of behavioral distress related to national anti-immigrant sentiment and the possibility of losing a parent. Using multiple sources of data from 168 racially and ethnically diverse families of children in pre-Kindergarten, the present study examined variability in perceived levels of immigration enforcement threat by parental immigrant status and ethnicity. This study examined associations between immigration enforcement threat and child mental health, self-regulation, and executive functioning and whether parent immigrant status or child gender moderates these associations. We found substantial variability in perceived immigration threat, with immigrant parents and Latinx parents reporting significantly greater levels of immigration threat compared to nonimmigrant parents and non-Latinx parents. Immigration enforcement threat was associated with greater child separation anxiety and overanxious behaviors, and lower self-regulation among boys and girls and among children of immigrant and U.S.-born parents. In contrast to our hypothesis, immigration enforcement threat was associated with higher self-regulation according to independent assessor ratings. Educators and healthcare providers working with young children from immigrant and Latinx households should be aware of the disproportionate stress experienced by immigrant and Latinx families due to a xenophobic sociopolitical climate marked by heightened immigration enforcement threat and racist, anti-immigrant rhetoric. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Early predictors of mental health in mid-adulthood.

Substantial research has focused on the examination of factors that contribute to the development of psychiatric problems. However, much less is known about factors early in life that may protect from poor mental health outcomes in midlife. This study aimed to identify the extent to which a set of key perinatal demographic variables and adolescent academic performance were associated with good mental health in mid-adulthood. In a sample of 525 individuals (aged 34-44, 55.4% male) born and raised in Jerusalem, Israel (STREAM study) we attempted to differentiate those who did and did not report psychiatric symptoms in mid-adulthood. Using χ2 and regression analysis, we explored birth factors (year of birth, sex, birth weight, and number of older siblings, data on parental immigration and socioeconomic status), academic achievement in eighth grade and contemporaneous measures of lifestyle factors, personality traits, and perceived resilience. Participants with good mental health were more often male (P = .005) and had better academic performance already at adolescence than participants who reported psychiatric symptoms in midlife (P < .001). They reported fewer physical complaints (P = .008), were less likely to smoke (P = .001) and considered themselves to be more "resilient" (P < .001). The results showed that better academic performance in adolescence may be associated with better stress-coping strategies, resulting in fewer psychiatric complaints, more perceived resilience, and less stress-related behaviours in mid-adulthood. Future studies confirming this hypothesis could inform public mental health interventions.

A Swedish national study: Immigrant-country of birth status and child welfare compulsory care among a sample of parents with risky substance use

BackgroundSweden has a high percentage of foreign-born residents (18.5 %) and one of the highest overdose death rates in Europe. For immigrant parents with risky substance use (RSU), risk factors associated with immigration status (e.g., economic strain and psychological stress) potentially heightening the risk of involvement with the child welfare system (CWS). Using Swedish registry national data, this study explored the relationship between immigration-country of birth status, psychosocial risk factors, and child compulsory care for parents with RSU. MethodsStudy sample consisted of 5932 parents from 65 Swedish municipalities assessed for psychosocial problems (including alcohol and drug use) using the Addiction Severity Index (2007–2017). Stepwise multinomial logistic regression models examined the relationship between immigration-country of birth status (Swedish born, Nordic-born, and non-Nordic born), psychosocial problems, and compulsory care in the CWS. ResultsCompared to Swedish-born parents, parents not born in Sweden, Norway, Denmark or Finland (non-Nordic born parents) had a lower probability of children living in compulsory care (family homes or institutions). However, after accounting for psychosocial problems, immigration status was no longer significantly associated with children’s living arrangements. ConclusionsStudy findings indicate that parental immigrant status (even among parents dealing with RSU) in itself is not a risk factor for compulsory care in the CWS. Moreover, parental employment and health problems posed greater risk for children being in compulsory care. Receipt of targeted services for employment and health problems may help to maintain stable child living arrangements for immigrant parents dealing with RSU.

Legacies of Marginalization: System Avoidance among the Adult Children of Unauthorized Immigrants in the United States

The threat of deportation shapes the way that unauthorized immigrants and their families interact with social institutions. For example, the adult children of unauthorized immigrants might avoid institutions that keep formal records (“surveilling” institutions) because such institutions could potentially expose their families to deportation. Using intergenerational data from the Immigration and Intergenerational Mobility in Metropolitan Los Angeles survey, we examine the relationship between immigrant parents’ authorization status and their adult children’s institutional participation ( n = 3,283). Results from Poisson and propensity-weighted regression models suggest that the adult children of unauthorized immigrants were more likely to avoid surveilling institutions, such as formal employment, than those with authorized parents. In contrast, parental immigration status was unrelated to their attachment to non-surveilling institutions, such as community groups or religious organizations. This finding suggests that the adult children of unauthorized immigrants are not systematically disengaged from all institutions but may avoid surveilling institutions in particular due to fear of their family’s deportation. This type of system avoidance may have long-term consequences for their social and economic mobility.

Effect of Parental Immigration Status on Pediatric Muslim Fasting Practices

Effect of Parental Immigration Status on Pediatric Muslim Fasting Practices

Effect of Parental Immigration Status on Pediatric Muslim Fasting Practices

Purpose Fasting during the holy month of Ramadan is one of the primary pillars of Islam. Muslims abstain from all water, food, and medications from dawn till dusk for the duration of the month. The start of Ramadan depends on the lunar calendar, with the dates changing yearly. Fasting is considered obligatory for observant Muslims, including adolescents starting at puberty. Notable exceptions are made for those who are ill, traveling, pregnant, and the elderly. To date, the existing medical literature focuses on adult fasting and health outcomes with …

Parental immigration and offspring post-traumatic stress disorder: A nationwide population-based register study

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate the association between parental immigration status and a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in their offspring. MethodsThis nested matched case-control study was based on a Finnish national birth cohort for 1987–2010 and cases were diagnosed with PTSD by 2012 from the Care Register for Health Care. We identified 3639 cases and 14,434 controls individually matched for gender, place and date of birth (±30 days). Conditional logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between parental immigration status, parents’ region of birth and time since paternal immigration, and PTSD after controlling for confounding factors. ResultsThe likelihood of being diagnosed with PTSD was significantly increased among children with an immigrant father (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.3 - 2.4) than those with two Finnish parents and one immigrant mother. There was no significant association between having an immigrant mother or two immigrant parents and receiving a diagnosis of PTSD. The likelihood of being diagnosed with PTSD was increased if the children's fathers had migrated less than five years before their birth (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.03 - 1.9) and if their immigrant fathers had been born in North Africa or the Middle East (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.4 - 3.3). LimitationsThe sample included a heterogeneous migrant group without information on the reason for migration. The cases were identified from hospital diagnosis that may have only included severe cases. ConclusionThe increased likelihood of a diagnosis of PTSD underlines the need for psychosocial services among second-generation immigrants.

Family Background and Higher Education Attainment Among Children of Immigrants

This study uses a modified form of Perna’s educational choice model (Studying college access and choice: A proposed conceptual model, Springer, Berlin, 2006) to examine whether children of immigrants have an “immigrant advantage” related to educational attainment. Children of immigrants represent approximately one in four children in the US and are the fastest growing segment of school-aged children. Using data from all 16 waves of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (1997–2013), a random effects regression analysis indicated that children with at least one immigrant parent had a higher likelihood of higher education attainment. When separate regressions were run by race/ethnicity, the immigrant advantage was only present for Black and Hispanic respondents. Results presented evidence of omitted variable bias when modeling higher education attainment where parental immigration status was absent.

Extended kin and children's behavioral functioning: Family structure and parental immigrant status

Using the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Survey (L.A. FANS), this paper examines the association between the presence of co-resident extended kin and children's internalizing and externalizing behaviors. The paper demonstrates the differential role of extended kin by family structure, as well as across parental immigrant status – specifically, nativity and documentation status. Children in the sample were found to be disadvantaged in extended family households, especially with regard to internalizing behaviors. This disadvantageous association was found mostly among married-parent extended family households, whereas there was no association between the presence of extended kin and behavior problems in children from single-parent families. This pattern emerged more clearly among children of documented immigrants, compared to those with native-born parents and those whose parents were unauthorized immigrants. These findings suggest a need to modify previous theories on extended family living arrangements; they also provide policy implications for immigrant families.

Preference-based health-related quality of life among victims of bullying.

No previous study has estimated the association between bullying and preference-based health-related quality of life (HRQoL) ("utility"), knowledge of which may be used for cost-effectiveness studies of interventions designed to prevent bullying. Therefore, the aim of the study was to estimate preference-based HRQoL among victims of bullying compared to non-victims. A cross-sectional survey data collection among Swedish adolescents aged 15-17years in the first year of upper secondary school was conducted in the city of Gothenburg in Sweden (N=758). Preference-based HRQoL was estimated with the SF-6D. Regression analyses were conducted to adjust for some individual-level background variable. Mean preference-based health-related quality of life scores were 0.77 and 0.71 for non-victims and victims of bullying, respectively. The difference of 0.06 points was statistically significant (p<0.05) and robust to inclusion of gender, age, and parental immigrant status. The preference-based HRQoL estimates in this study may be used as an upper bound in economic evaluations of bullying prevention interventions, facilitating a comparison between costs and quality-adjusted life-years.

Parental depressive tendencies, gender, and immigrant status in fragile families

While empirical support that focuses on maternal depression has received substantial publicity on several fronts, paternal depression has not garnered as much empirical attention. Additionally, despite the increase in the prevalence of immigration in the US, there has been slow progress in identifying underlying mechanisms and risks among immigrant families and their impact on younger children's socio-emotional wellbeing. Utilizing the framework of intersectionality, this study investigated the effect of parental depressive tendencies on school-age children's internalizing and externalizing behaviors. To understand the familial links that safeguard young school-age children's behavioral outcomes, the discrepancies of parental depressive propensities with respect to parents’ gender and immigrant status were discussed. Overall, the postulation that paternal and maternal depressive tendencies exerted differing impact was partially upheld. Fathers with a history of depressed mood were more likely to rate thei...

Physical activity and sedentary behaviour of toddlers and preschoolers in child care centres in Alberta, Canada.

To describe duration of physical activity and duration and bouts of sedentary behaviour during child care in a sample of toddlers and preschoolers (19-60 months) from Alberta, Canada, and to examine whether duration and bouts differed among sex, age and parental immigration status groups. One hundred and fourteen children aged 19-60 months from eight child care centres throughout Alberta participated. Data were collected at baseline of a study examining revised Alberta Child Care Accreditation Standards. Duration of physical activity (light (LPA), moderate-to-vigorous (MVPA)) and duration and bouts (1-4, 5-9, 10-14, and ≥15 minutes) of sedentary behaviour during child care were accelerometer-derived using 15-second epochs during October/November, 2013. Median [Interquartile ranges] and ANOVAs, accounting for the clustered nature of the data, were calculated. Minutes/hour spent in sedentary behaviour, LPA and MVPA were 36.9 [32.9, 40.7], 18.4 [16.0, 20.9] and 4.2 [2.5, 5.6] respectively. Frequency/hour of sedentary bouts lasting 1-4, 5-9, 10-14 and ≥15 mins were 6.7 [6.1, 7.6], 0.9 [0.6, 1.1], 0.4 [0.2, 0.5] and 0.3 [0.2, 0.4] respectively. Preschoolers participated in less sedentary behaviour and more LPA and MVPA, and had fewer sedentary bouts lasting 10-14 and ≥15 mins compared to toddlers (p &lt; 0.05). This is the first Canadian study to report on the duration of physical activity and duration and bouts of sedentary behaviour among both toddlers and preschoolers attending child care centres. These findings suggest child care interventions are needed to increase MVPA and decrease total sedentary behaviour while continuing to promote short sedentary bouts.