Are Remitters at Risk for Lower Food Security and Dietary Quality? An Exploratory Study of Mexican Immigrants in NYC

Abstract

Objective

To examine whether remitting behavior among Mexican immigrants in the Bronx is associated with increased food insecurity and lower dietary quality, with a particular focus on potential gender differences in these associations.

Design

Descriptive and bivariate statistics are shown, and binary logistic multivariate regression models are computed.

Setting

Data come from a study exploring the social networks, dietary behaviors and outcomes of Mexican immigrants recruited from a Catholic Church in the Bronx between January 2019 and June 2019.

Participants

81 Mexican immigrants 18 years or older living in the Bronx, New York City.

Results

A statistically significant (p < .1) relationship was not found between sending remittances and food insecurity; however, we found that women remitters had higher odds than men remitters of having low dietary quality (p < .060). We also found that a higher Body Mass Index was associated with higher odds of experiencing low and very low food security (p < .037).

Conclusions

Further research with nationally representative data is needed to investigate the full extent of the association between remittances and nutritional outcomes of remitters.