Restrictive sub-federal immigration policy climates and very preterm birth risk among US-born and foreign-born Hispanic mothers in the United States, 2005–2016

Soon after 9/11 a research project to study new immigration into the Dallas Fort Worth metropolitan area got under way. In the questionnaire that was administered to 600 immigrants across five different immigrant populations (Asian Indians, Vietnamese, Mexicans, Salvadorans, and Nigerians) between 2003 and 2005 we decided to include a question about the impact of 9/11 on their lives. We asked: “How has the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 affected your position as an immigrant in the United States?” This article analyzes the responses to this question, looking at similarities and differences across different immigrant populations. It also addresses the broader issue of how 9/11 has affected both immigration policy and attitudes toward the foreign-born in the United States.

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Spatial Variation in Very Preterm Birth to Hispanic Women Across the United States: The Role of Intensified Immigration Enforcement

Ethnicity & Disease ◽

10.18865/ed.31.s1.333 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 31 (Suppl) ◽

pp. 333-344

Author(s):

Kaitlyn K. Stanhope ◽

Shakira F. Suglia ◽

Carol J.R. Hogue ◽

Juan S. Leon ◽

Dawn L. Comeau ◽

...

Keyword(s):

South Carolina ◽

Preterm Birth ◽

Hispanic Women ◽

The United States ◽

Future Research ◽

County Level ◽

Immigration Enforcement ◽

Very Preterm ◽

Very Preterm Birth ◽

The Impact

Introduction: Limited existing research suggests that immigration climate and enforcement practices represent a social determinant of health for immigrants, their families, and communities. However, national research on the impact of specific policies is limited. The goal of this article is to estimate the effect of county-level participation in a 287(g) immigration enforcement agreement on very preterm birth (VPTB, <32 weeks’ gestation) rates between 2005-2016 among US-born and foreign-born Hispanic women across the United States.Methods: We fit spatial Bayesian models to estimate the effect of local participation in a 287(g) program on county VPTB rates, accounting for variation by maternal nativity, county ethnic density, and controlling for individual specific Hispanic background and nativity and county-level confounders.Results: While there was no global effect of county participation in a 287(g) program on county VPTB rates, rates were slightly increased in some counties, primarily in the Southeast (Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina).Future Directions: Future research should consider the mechanisms through which immigration policies and enforcement may impact health of both immigrants and wider communities.Ethn Dis. 2021;31(Suppl 1):333-344; doi:10.18865/ed.31.S1.333

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A Long View of America’s Immigration Policy and the Supply of Foreign-Born STEM Workers in the United States

American Behavioral Scientist ◽

10.1177/0002764209356237 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 53 (7) ◽

pp. 1029-1044 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

B. Lindsay Lowell

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Immigration Policy ◽

The United States ◽

Foreign Born

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Preterm disparities between foreign and Swedish born mothers depend on the method used to estimate gestational age. A Swedish population-based register study

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0247138 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. e0247138

Author(s):

Sol P. Juárez ◽

Marcelo L. Urquia ◽

Eleonora Mussino ◽

Can Liu ◽

Yao Qiao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Preterm Birth ◽

Gestational Age ◽

Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽

Estimation Method ◽

Foreign Born ◽

Swedish Population ◽

Very Preterm ◽

Very Preterm Birth ◽

Age Related ◽

Moderately Preterm

This study aims to examine whether disparities in gestational age outcomes between foreign and Swedish-born mothers are contingent on the measure used to estimate gestational age and, if so, to identify which maternal factors are associated with the discrepancy. Using population register data, we studied all singleton live births in Sweden from 1992–2012 (n = 1,317,265). Multinomial logistic regression was performed to compare gestational age outcomes classified into very (<32 weeks) and late preterm (32–36 weeks), term and post-term derived from the last menstrual period (LMP) and ultrasound estimates in foreign- and Swedish-born women. Compared to Swedish-born women, foreign-born women had similar odds of very preterm birth (OR: 0.98 [95% CI: 0.98, 1.01]) and lower odds of moderately preterm birth (OR: 0.95 [95% CI: 0.92, 0.98]) based on ultrasound, while higher risks based on LMP (respectively, OR: 1.10 [95% CI: 1.07, 1.14] and 1.09 [95% CI: 1.06, 1.13]). Conclusions on disparities in gestational age-related outcomes by mother’s country of origin depend on the method used to estimate gestational age. Except for very preterm, foreign-born women had a health advantage when gestational age is based on ultrasound, but a health disadvantage when based on LMP. Studies assessing disparities in very preterm birth by migration status are not affected by the estimation method but caution should be taken when interpreting disparities in moderately preterm and preterm birth rates.

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Variation in Birth Outcomes by Mother’s Country of Birth Among Hispanic Women in the United States, 2013

Public Health Reports ◽

10.1177/0033354918765444 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 133 (3) ◽

pp. 318-328 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Carla L. DeSisto ◽

Jill A. McDonald

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Birth Weight ◽

Preterm Birth ◽

Birth Outcomes ◽

Gestational Age ◽

Small For Gestational Age ◽

Hispanic Women ◽

The United States ◽

Country Of Birth ◽

Foreign Born

Objectives: Despite knowledge that the Hispanic population is growing in the United States and that birth outcomes may vary by maternal country of birth, data on birth outcomes by maternal country of birth among Hispanic women are scant. We compared the rates of 3 birth outcomes for infants born in the United States—preterm birth, low birth weight, and small for gestational age—between foreign-born Hispanic women and US-born Hispanic women, and then we examined these birth outcomes by mother’s country of birth for foreign-born Hispanic women. Methods: Using the 2013 natality file from the National Vital Statistics System of the National Center for Health Statistics, we examined data on the 3 birth outcomes and maternal characteristics by maternal country of birth. We used log binomial models to calculate unadjusted and adjusted relative risks for preterm birth, low birth weight, and small for gestational age for US-born Hispanic women compared with foreign-born Hispanic women. We also compared the relative risk of each adverse birth outcome for foreign-born Hispanic women by country of birth. Results: US-born Hispanic women had higher rates of the 3 birth outcomes than did foreign-born Hispanic women (preterm birth: 8.0% vs 7.0%; low birth weight: 6.1% vs 5.2%; small for gestational age: 9.2% vs 7.9%). These higher rates persisted after adjusting for maternal characteristics. The rates for these 3 birth outcomes varied significantly by country of birth for foreign-born Hispanic women, with Puerto Rican women consistently having the poorest birth outcomes. Conclusions: Our results demonstrated heterogeneity in rates of adverse birth outcomes by country of birth for foreign-born Hispanic women. Presenting rates for foreign-born mothers as a group masks differences by country. To understand possible changes in data on birth outcomes, states should stratify data by maternal country of birth.

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In the Belly of the Beast

American Behavioral Scientist ◽

10.1177/0002764214537270 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 58 (13) ◽

pp. 1723-1742 ◽

Cited By ~ 54

Author(s):

Seline Szkupinski Quiroga ◽

Dulce M. Medina ◽

Jennifer Glick

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Immigration Policy ◽

The United States ◽

Immigration Enforcement ◽

Structural Vulnerability ◽

Foreign Born ◽

Immigration Laws ◽

Perceived Impacts ◽

The U.S

This paper examines the experiences of Latino adults in South Phoenix, Arizona, during a time of changing immigration policy, through the theoretical lenses of structural vulnerability and macro- and microaggression. The analyses describe how U.S.- and foreign-born Latinos experience the effects of local immigration laws and anti-immigrant sentiment. The results suggest that while there are differences between the U.S.-born and foreign-born in perceived impacts of immigration enforcement, there are few differences in perceptions of vulnerability and no evidence of lesser psychological distress among those who are not the direct targets of immigration enforcement activities. Even if they do not feel directly at risk, most respondents express concerns for family members and others in their social networks as a result of increased attention to immigration enforcement or anti-immigrant sentiment. These shared impacts may have long-term implications for Latino communities in the United States.

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