Health conditions in children of Latino immigrants: Does the epidemiological paradox extend beyond birth outcomes?

Despite socioeconomic disadvantage, children of Latino immigrants (second generation) have comparable birth outcomes to children of non-Latino whites, a phenomenon known as the epidemiological paradox. We know less about whether their health advantage is sustained through childhood. The purpose of this study was to examine the health of Latino children ages 3 to 17 by assessing the rates of various health conditions of first, second, and third-plus generation children. Comparisons were also drawn with white, black, and Asian children. Using data for more than 70,000 children from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health, we document a graded pattern whereby the incidence of reported health problems increases across generation. By the third-plus generation, Latino children, like black children, have higher rates of most poor health outcomes than do white or Asian children. The pattern is notably pronounced for three health conditions that are especially common in childhood, allergies, asthma, and developmental problems, which affect, respectively, 28%, 15%, and 20% of all children. For example, the proportion of Latino children with allergies increases by 60% across generations (from 16.3% for first and 17.3% for second generation, to 26.2% for third-plus generation). The pattern persists in multivariate regression models accounting for differences in healthcare access, socioeconomic status and family structure, home health environment, social support, and neighborhood conditions. Recognizing and building on the healthy beginnings of new generations of Latino children needs to be a priority in the face of threats to health posed by widespread poverty and limited access to healthcare.