Black infants are more likely to suffer from poor health at birth compared to non-blacks. However, most existing infant health research focuses solely on non-Hispanic blacks and fails to consider the role of ethnic self-identification on infant health disparities. Using 2002 Vital Statistics Natality Data, this paper investigates whether Hispanic ethnicity is related to birth weight among U.S.- and foreign-born black mothers. The results from regression analyses suggest that Hispanic blacks give birth to heavier infants than non-Hispanic blacks. Maternal behaviors such as prenatal care and smoking fail to explain these birth weight differences. However, the observed within-group birth weight differences among blacks are far more modest compared to the black-white birth weight disparities identified in the extant literature. Thus, while it is important to pay attention to within-group differences among blacks, it is still critical to address the needs of black Hispanics with respect to racial disparities in infant health outcomes.
Aarnoudse-MoensC.S.H.Meta-analysis of neurobehavioral outcomes in very preterm and/or very low birth weight children.Pediatrics.2009; 124(2): 717–28.
2.
AbrevayaJ., DahlC.M.The effects of birth inputs on birthweight: evidence from quantile estimation on panel data.J Bus Econ Stat.2008; 26(4): 379–97.
3.
Acevedo-GarciaD., SoobaderM.J., BerkmanL.F.Low birthweight among US Hispanic/Latino subgroups: the effect of maternal foreign-born status and education.Soc Sci Med.2007; 65(12): 2503–16.
4.
Acevedo-GarciaD.The effect of immigrant generation on smoking.Soc Sci Med.2005a; 61(6): 1223–42.
5.
Acevedo-GarciaD., SoobaderM.J., BerkmanL.F.The differential effect of foreign-born status on low birth weight by race/ethnicity and education.Pediatrics.2005b; 115(1): e20–30.
6.
AntecolH., BedardK.Unhealthy assimilation: why do immigrants converge to American health status levels?Demography.2006; 43(2): 337–60.
7.
ArceC.H., MurguiaE, FrisbieW.P.Phenotype and Life Chances among Chicanos.Hisp J Behav Sci.1987; 9(1): 19–32.
8.
BarkerD.J.Fetal origins of coronary heart disease.Br Heart J.1993; 69(3): 195–6.
9.
CabraiH.Foreign-born and US-born black women: differences in health behaviors and birth outcomes.Am J Public Health.1990; 80(1): 70–2.
10.
CodinaG.E., MontalvoF.F.Chicano Phenotype and Depression.Hisp J Behav Sci.1994; 16(3): 296–306.
11.
CollinsJ.W., WuS-Y, DavidR.J.Differing intergenerational birth weights among the descendants of US-born and foreign-born Whites and African Americans in Illinois.Am J Epidemiol.2002; 155(3): 210–6.
12.
CollinsJ.W.JrLow-income African-American mothers’ perception of exposure to racial discrimination and infant birth weight.Epidemiology.2000; 11(3): 337–9.
13.
CottonJ.Color or Culture – Wage Differences among Non-Hispanic Black-Males, Hispanic Black-Males and Hispanic White Males.Rev Black Polit Econ.1993; 21(4): 53–67.
14.
CurrieJ., GruberJ.Saving Babies: The Efficacy and Cost of Recent Changes in the Medicaid Eligibility of 404 Pregnant Women.J Polit Econ.1996; 104(6): 1263–96.
15.
DarityW., GuilkeyD.K., WinfreyW.Explaining differences in economic performance among racial and ethnic groups in the USA: The data examined.Am J Econ Sociol.1996; 55(4): 411–25.
16.
DavidR.J., CollinsJ.W.JrDiffering birth weight among infants of U.S.-born blacks, African-born blacks, and U.S.-born whites.N Engl J Med.1997; 337(17): 1209–14.
17.
DeroseK.P., EscarceJ.J., LurieN.Immigrants and health care: sources of vulnerability.Health Aff (Millwood).2007; 26(5): 1258–68.
18.
EloI.T., MehtaN.K., HuangC.Disability among native-born and foreign-born blacks in the United States.Demography.2011; 48(1): 241–65.
19.
EloI.T., CulhaneJ.F.Variations in health and health behaviors by nativity among pregnant Black women in Philadelphia.Am J Public Health.2010; 100(11): 2185–92.
20.
EschbachK.Neighborhood context and mortality among older Mexican Americans: is there a barrio advantage?Journal Information, 2004. 94(10).
21.
FanaroffA.A.Trends in neonatal morbidity and mortality for very low birthweight infants.Am J Obstet 402 Gynecol.2007; 196(2): 147.el–8.
22.
FiglioD.N., HamersmaS., and RothJ., Information shocks and social networks, 2011, National Bureau of Economic Research.
23.
GreenT.Infant feeding and asthma: is breast milk best?Rev Econ Househ.2011; 9(4): 487–504.
24.
GreenT., Black and immigrant: exploring the effects of ethnicity and foreign-born status on infant health, in Young Children of Black Immigrants in America: Changing Flows, Changing Faces2011, In press.
25.
GuendelmanS., AbramsB.Dietary Intake among Mexican-American Women: Generational Differences and a Comparison with White Non-Hispanic Women.Am J Public Health.1995; 85(1): 20–5.
26.
HamiltonT.G., HummerR.A.Immigration and the health of U.S.black adults: does country of origin matter? Soc Sci Med.2011; 73(10): 1551–60.
27.
HowardD.L.Variations in Low Birth Weight and Preterm Delivery Among Blacks in Relation to Ancestry and Nativity: New York City, 1998–2002.Pediatrics.2006; 118(5): e1399–405.
28.
HummerR.A.Paradox found (again): infant mortality among the Mexican-origin population in the United States.Demography.2007; 44(3): 441–57.
29.
HunterM.The Persistent Problem of Colorism: Skin Tone, Status, and Inequality.Sociol Compass.2007; 1(1): 237–54.
30.
IoannidesY.M., LouryL.D.Job information networks, neighborhood effects, and inequality.J Econ Lit.2004; 42(4): 1056–93.
31.
JacksonS.A.The relation of residential segregation to all-cause mortality: a study in black and white.Am J Public Health.2000; 90(4): 615.
32.
JamesS.A.Racial and ethnic differences in infant mortality and low birth weight A psychosocial critique.Ann Epidemiol.1993; 3(2): 130–6.
33.
JanevicT.Neighborhood deprivation and adverse birth outcomes among diverse ethnic groups.Ann Epidemiol.2010; 20(6): 445–51.
34.
JassoG.Immigrant health: selectivity and acculturation.Critical perspectives on racial and ethnic differences in health in late life, 2004: p. 227–266.
35.
JohnsonR.C., SchoeniR.F.Early-life origins of adult disease: national longitudinal population-based study of the United States.Am J Public Health.2011; 101(12): 2317–24.
36.
KentM. M., Immigration and America's black population2007: Population Reference Bureau
37.
LandaleN.S., OropesaR.S., GormanB.K.Migration and Infant Death: Assimilation or Selective Migration among Puerto Ricans?Am Sociol Rev.2000; 65(6): 888–909.
38.
MathewsT.J., MacDormanM.F.Infant mortality statistics from the 2007 period linked birth/infant death data set.Natl Vital Stat Rep.2011; 59(6): 1–30.
39.
MathewsT.J., MacDormanM.F.Infant mortality statistics from the 2005 period linked birth/infant death data set.Natl Vital Stat Rep.2008; 57(2): 1–32.
40.
MasonP.L.Race, culture, and skill: Interracial wage differences among African Americans, Latinos, and whites.Rev Black Polit Econ.1997; 25(3): 5–39.
41.
MasonP.L.Annual Income, Hourly Wages, and Identity Among Mexican-Americans and Other Latinos. Industrial Relations.J Econ Soc.2004; 43(4): 817–34.
42.
McGladeM.S., SahaS., DahlstromM.E.The Latina paradox: an opportunity for restructuring prenatal care delivery.Am J Public Health.2004; 94(12): 2062–5.
43.
MashoS.W., ArcherP.W.Does maternal birth outcome differentially influence the occurrence of 399 infant death among African Americans and European Americans? Matern Child Health J.4002011; 15(8): 1249–56.
44.
MontalvoF.F., CodinaG.E.Skin Color and Latinos in the United States.Ethnicities.2001; 1(3): 321–41.
PallottoE.K., CollinsJ.W.Jr, DavidR.J.Enigma of maternal race and infant birth weight: a population-based study of US-born Black and Caribbean-born Black women.Am J Epidemiol.2000; 151(11): 1080–5.
47.
PhungH.Risk Factors for Low Birth Weight in a Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Population: Parity, Marital Status, Ethnicity and Cigarette Smoking.Eur J Epidemiol.2003; 18(3): 235–43.
48.
PolednakA.P.Segregation, discrimination and mortality in US blacks.Ethn Dis.1996; 6(1-2): 99.
49.
ReichmanN.E., KenneyG.M.Prenatal care, birth outcomes and newborn hospitalization costs: patterns among Hispanics in New Jersey.Fam Plan Perspect.1998; 30(4): 182–7 200.
50.
ShawR.J., PickettK.E., WilkinsonR.G.Ethnic density effects on birth outcomes and maternal smoking during pregnancy in the US linked birth and infant death data set.Am J Public Health.2010; 100(4): 707–13.
51.
SinghG.K., SiahpushM.Ethnic-immigrant differentials in health behaviors, morbidity, and cause-specific mortality in the United States: an analysis of two national data bases.Hum Biol.2002; 74(1): 83–109.
52.
SteinC.R.Maternal ethnic ancestry and adverse perinatal outcomes in New York City.Am J Obstet Gynecol.2009; 201(6): 584. e1–9.
53.
StrullyK.W., RehkopfD.H., XuanZ.Effects of Prenatal Poverty on Infant Health State Earned Income Tax Credits and Birth Weight.Am Sociol Rev.2010; 75(4): 534–62.
54.
TeitlerJ.O., HuttoN., ReichmanN.E.Reichman, Birthweight of children of immigrants by maternal duration of residence in the United States.Soc Sci Med.2012; 75(3): 459–68.
55.
WaltonE.Residential segregation and birth weight among racial and ethnic minorities in the United States.J 484 Health Soc Behav.2009; 50(4): 427–42.
56.
WeigersM.E., SherradenM.S.A Critical Examination of Acculturation: The Impact of Health Behaviors, Social Support and Economic Resources on Birth Weight among Women of Mexican Descent.Int Migr Rev.2001; 35(3): 804–39.
