Overview

Today, 13% of the U.S. population is foreign born, with nearly a quarter of children growing up in families with at least one foreign-born parent. In some ethnic groups, the proportion is higher. For example, 60% of Latino children are in immigrant families, and many live in non-metropolitan communities such as central Illinois.

Immigration results in multiple changes as families adapt to life in their new environment. One set of changes involves dietary patterns and family routines related to mealtimes and physical activity. These changes likely contribute to the widely documented worsening of immigrants’ health with time in the U.S. and across immigrant generations. Understanding the complex and interconnected causes underlying health disparities among immigrants (and subsequent generations), and identifying strategies to promote health in this population, are major public health priorities.

This project fosters collaborations leading to new research and outreach projects focused on immigrant health transitions, with a special emphasis on changes in nutrition and physical activity. Activities include bringing together faculty from across campus to explore areas of overlap and synergy, forming project teams focused on specific topics, and supporting pilot activities by project teams. The goal is to obtain external funding for projects that address issues of health disparities in immigrant populations.

The impact of the project includes the creation of new transdisciplinary collaborations; the generation of products resulting from pilot activities, such as new datasets, bibliographies, and publications; and the submission of grant proposals to external funding agencies for research and outreach activities that will positively impact research and intervention aimed at immigrant families.

Research Team

Marcela Raffaelli, Ph.D., Professor, Human Development and Family Studies

Contact:
Marcela Raffaelli
217-244-5017
mraffael@illinois.edu

Funding

This project was funded by the Christopher Family Foundation Food and Family Program.