Cross-border ties and self-rated health status for young Latino adults in Southern California

At the same time that health researchers have mostly ignored the cross-border nature of immigrant social networks, scholars of immigrant “transnationalism” have left health largely unexamined. This paper addresses this gap by analyzing the relationship between cross-border ties and self-rated health status for young Latino adults living in the greater Los Angeles area (n = 1268). Findings based on an ordered logistic regression analysis suggest that cross-border relationships may have both protective and adverse effects on overall health status. Specifically, those reporting a period of extended parental cross-border separation during childhood have lower odds of reporting better categories of self-rated health, all else equal. Conversely, a significant positive association was found between having a close relative living abroad and self-rated health status for foreign-born respondents when interacted with immigrant generation (foreign versus U.S.-born). Given the findings of significant negative and positive relationships between cross-border ties and self-rated general health status, I discuss the implications for future research on the social determinants of immigrant health.

► Cross-border ties may be a significant part of the social networks of Latino adults in Southern California.
► Indication of cross-border ties is associated with better overall health for a sample of Latinos in Southern California.
► Cross-border separation from a parent is associated with lower health status for a sample of Latinos in Southern California.