Health and Behavior Risks of Adolescents with Mixed-Race Identity
Health and Behavior Risks of Adolescents with Mixed-Race Identity
American Journal of Public Health
November 2003
Vol 93, No. 11
Pages 1865-1870
J. Richard Udry, PhD
Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Rose Maria Li, PhD
Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Janet Hendrickson-Smith, MA
Analytical Sciences, Inc.
Objectives. This study compared the health and risk status of adolescents who identify with 1 race with those identifying with more than 1 race.
Methods. Data are derived from self-reports of race, using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), which provides a large representative national sample of adolescents in grades 7 through 12. Respondents could report more than 1 race.
Results. Mixed-race adolescents showed higher risk when compared with single-race adolescents on general health questions, school experience, smoking and drinking, and other risk variables.
Conclusions. Adolescents who self-identify as more than 1 race are at higher health and behavior risks. The findings are compatible with interpreting the elevated risk of mixed race as associated with stress.
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Tags: Add Health, American Journal of Public Health, J. Richard Udry, Janet Hendrickson-Smith, National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, Rose Maria Li