This study examines the influence of perceived discrimination on the health and behaviour of ethnic minority immigrant children in British Columbia, Canada. Using data from the New Canadian Children and Youth Study, we examine perceived discrimination experienced by the parent, family, and cultural group in Canada to test the influence of micro-, meso-, and macrolevels of discrimination on children. Families from 6 ethnic backgrounds participated in the study. Parents’ perceptions of the child’s health and six behavioral scales (hyperactivity, prosocial behaviour, emotional problems, aggression, indirect aggression, and a general combined behaviour scale) were examined as outcome variables. After controlling for ethnicity and background variables, our findings suggest that perceived micro- and macrodiscrimination has the greatest influence on the health and behaviour of our immigrant child sample. Variation among ethnic groups provided the largest explanation of health and behavioural discrepancies in our study.
Racial discrimination and racism are recognized as determinants of health for adults. Less is understood regarding the influence of discrimination targeted towards parents, the family, or the cultural and children's health. Data from the New Canadian Children and Youth Study (NCCYS) are used in this paper. The NCCYS is a national, longitudinal study of children whose families settled in urban centers of Canada. We analyzed data from individuals who settled in the metropolitan Vancouver area from six ethnic communities: Mainland China, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Iran, Afghanistan, and the Punjab who were interviewed at two times, approximately 2 years apart. Data were collected on perceived parental, family, and cultural discrimination. Our dependent variable was parent-reported child health status. Over time, perceived parental discrimination and perceived family discrimination decreased; and both forms of discrimination had a positive effect on child health. In contrast, perceived cultural discrimination increased over time and had a negative effect on child health at both times. Different forms of discrimination have different effects on child health. Racial discrimination is complex. Its influence on either increasing family cohesion, and thereby leading to improved health, or increasing stress, thereby leading to poorer health needs to be explored further.
With the lack of research on the health of immigrant children and youth living in ethnic concentrations, our findings make an important contribution to understanding the influences on the well-being of immigrant populations.
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