Race/ethnicity, immigrant generation, and physiological dysregulation among U.S. adults entering midlife

Citation

Touma, Fatima & Hummer, Robert A. (2022). Race/ethnicity, immigrant generation, and physiological dysregulation among U.S. adults entering midlife. Social Science & Medicine.

Abstract

This study aimed to better understand racial/ethnic and immigrant generation disparities in physiological dysregulation in the early portion of the adult life course. Using biomarker-measured allostatic load, we focused on the health of child/adolescent immigrant, second-, and third-plus-generation Asian, Black, Hispanic, and White Americans in their late 30s and early 40s. We drew on restricted-access data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), Waves I and V. The results indicate lower levels of physiological dysregulation for most racial/ethnic groups of child/adolescent immigrants relative to both third-plus-generation Whites and third-plus-generation same race/ethnic peers. Socioeconomic, social, and behavioral control variables measured in different parts of the life course had little impact on these patterns. Thus, evidence of an immigrant health advantage is found for this cohort using allostatic load as a measure of physiological dysregulation, even though immigrants in Add Health arrived at the United States during childhood and adolescence. Implications of these findings in the context of immigrant health advantages and trajectories are discussed.

URL

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115423

Keyword(s)

Immigrant generation

Reference Type

Journal Article

Journal Title

Social Science & Medicine

Author(s)

Touma, Fatima
Hummer, Robert A.

Year Published

2022

DOI

10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115423

Reference ID

9790