RESUMEN
In the United States, a woman health insurance coverage is largely determined by her employment and marital roles. This research evaluates competing hypotheses regarding how the combination of employment and marital roles shapes insurance coverage among Mexican-origin, non-Hispanic white, and African American women. We use data from the 2004 and 2006 March Supplements to the Current Population Surveys. Results show that these roles largely substitute for each other among non-Hispanic white and African American women, although marriage generally increases the odds of coverage slightly more than employment among non-Hispanic white women. In contrast, these roles cumulatively increase those odds among Mexican-origin women. Yet neither employment, nor marriage, nor their combination assures their coverage. Married Mexican-origin women are particularly disadvantaged. As women increasingly spend a smaller fraction of their lives in marriage, and as relatively few women are in benefits-rich occupations, stable and equitable coverage may require a universal health insurance system.
Asunto(s)
Empleo/estadística & datos numéricos , Disparidades en Atención de Salud/estadística & datos numéricos , Seguro de Salud/estadística & datos numéricos , Matrimonio/estadística & datos numéricos , Americanos Mexicanos/estadística & datos numéricos , Adolescente , Adulto , Negro o Afroamericano/estadística & datos numéricos , Femenino , Humanos , Matrimonio/etnología , Persona de Mediana Edad , Población Blanca/estadística & datos numéricos , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: The employment based health insurance system of the United States means that those individuals who are disadvantaged in the labor market are also disadvantaged in terms of health insurance coverage. The Mexican-origin population has historically been disadvantaged in both domains. We examine the extent to which low rates of health insurance coverage among Mexican-origin adult male workers are the result of overrepresentation in the types of employment in which coverage is low for everyone. METHODS: We use logistic regression models to analyze data from 80,827 employed Mexican-origin, African American, and non-Hispanic white men in the 2004 and 2006 Current Population Surveys. RESULTS: The results suggest that although such overrepresentation contributes to low rates of coverage among Mexican-origin workers, even within employment sectors, industries, and occupations Mexican-origin workers are less likely to have coverage than non-Hispanic whites or African Americans. CONCLUSIONS: These results make it clear that the health insurance vulnerabilit y of the Mexican-origin population reflects multiple barriers to coverage in addition to those related to employment.
RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: Previous research on the relationship between diet and acculturation among Hispanics has produced inconsistent results. This study examined the association between diet, country of birth, and a language acculturation scale among Mexican-American women. DESIGN: The study used a cross-sectional design with data from the 2000 National Health Interview Survey and its Cancer Control Module. The module was administered to one adult per household and included 17 dietary intake questions. SUBJECTS/SETTING: Subjects were 1,245 nonpregnant women of Mexican descent between 25 and 64 years of age residing in the United States who were interviewed in their homes. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS PERFORMED: Least-squares regression with sampling weights and adjustment of standard errors for survey design effects was used to estimate the associations between country of birth, language acculturation, and percent energy from fat, intake of fiber, and intake of fruits and vegetables, with statistical control for age, education, and marital status. RESULTS: In multivariate models, US-born women consumed fewer grams of fiber per day (beta=-2.44; P<0.01) and a larger percentage of energy from fat (beta=2.06; P<0.01) than Mexican-born women. Greater English language use was associated with decreased consumption of fiber (P<0.01), and a decline in fruit and vegetable intake with a greater decline for US-born (P<0.10). CONCLUSIONS: Acculturation is associated with several unfavorable dietary changes. Women who were born in the United States are at greater risk of declining dietary quality compared to Mexican-born women, and US-born English-speaking women have more unfavorable dietary profiles. Research and public health education concerning dietary intake should consider both country of birth and language.