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Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Published in: Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health 3/2010

01-06-2010 | Original Paper

Household Density among Undocumented Mexican Immigrants in New York City

Authors: Katherine Standish, Vijay Nandi, Danielle C. Ompad, Sandra Momper, Sandro Galea

Published in: Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health | Issue 3/2010

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Abstract

Background High household density increases exposure to communicable diseases, psychological distress in adults, and poor long-term health in children. High residential density, which may be a mediator of poor health, is common among immigrants. Methods We used data from a pilot survey among Mexican immigrants in New York City. Respondents were recruited through venue-based sampling in neighborhoods with large Mexican populations. Results Among respondents that reported being undocumented (N = 404), the mean number of people per room (PPR) of residence was 2.2. In multivariate analyses, living in conditions of >2 PPR was positively associated with living with one’s children (OR = 2.3, 95% CI = 1.4–3.9), having experienced food insecurity in the past 6 months (OR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.1–3.6), and language discrimination (OR = 2.3 compared to other forms of discrimination, 95% CI = 1.2–4.4). Conclusions Undocumented Mexican immigrants, particularly those who are linguistically marginalized and experience food insufficiency, live in conditions of marked household density in NYC.
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Metadata
Title
Household Density among Undocumented Mexican Immigrants in New York City
Authors
Katherine Standish
Vijay Nandi
Danielle C. Ompad
Sandra Momper
Sandro Galea
Publication date
01-06-2010
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health / Issue 3/2010
Print ISSN: 1557-1912
Electronic ISSN: 1557-1920
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-008-9175-x

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