Left-Wing Xenophobia in Europe

Given rising populist nationalism and multiplying meanings of "right" and "left," this paper assesses whether Europeans who identify as extremely left-wing on the political spectrum hold anti-immigrant attitudes. In contrast to right-wing xenophobes, we further examine whether the political left, who conventionally emphasize class conflict, oppose immigrants less for cultural reasons and more for materialist reasons. We also consider whether socioeconomic status and values traditionally associated with the political left-favoring redistributive policies, egalitarianism, or social rights to benefits and services for immigrants-temper left- more than right-wing xenophobia. We find that a surprisingly large share of those who identify as far left do express extremely xenophobic attitudes, and we profile them in contrast to far right xenophobes. With logistic regression analysis of nine waves of the European Social Survey (2002-2018), we find that, all things equal, socioeconomic status influences far left xenophobia more than far right xenophobia, but inegalitarian values, less support for redistributive policies, and welfare chauvinism can only partially account for far left xenophobia and unexpectedly do not distinguish it from far right xenophobia. This implies that far left parties might adopt anti-immigrant policies to try to retain their loyal voters, even though such policies do not comport with broader left-wing values and may increase racial and ethnic inequality. Controlling for demographic and attitudinal differences reduces the probability of xenophobia among the far left by about sixty percent, but there remains some residual anti-immigrant attitudes among this group still to be explained.

Statistical modelling of COVID-19 pandemic development applying branching processes

In this paper, a statistical model for COVID-19 infection dynamics is described, using only the observed daily statistics of infected individuals. For this purpose, two special classes of branching processes without or with an immigration component are considered. These models are intended to estimate the main parameter of the infection and to give a prediction of the mean value of the non-observed population of the infected individuals. This is a serious advantage in comparison with other more complicated models where the officially reported data are not sufficient for estimation of the model parameters. The model is applied for different regions in the world and the corresponding parameters of the infection dynamics are estimated.

Changing Epidemiology of Tinea Capitis in Athens, Greece: The Impact of Immigration and Review of Literature

Mass population movements have altered the epidemiology of tinea capitis (TC) in countries receiving refugees. Periodic monitoring of the local pathogen profiles may serve as a basis for both the selection of appropriate empirical antifungal therapy and the implementation of preventive actions. Therefore, we investigated the impact of an unprecedented immigration wave occurring in Greece since 2015 on the epidemiological trends of TC. All microbiologically confirmed TC cases diagnosed during the period 2012-2019 in a referral academic hospital for dermatological disorders in Athens, Greece, were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 583 patients were recorded, where 348 (60%) were male, 547 (94%) were children and 160 (27%) were immigrants from Balkan, Middle Eastern, Asian as well as African countries. The overall annual incidence of TC was 0.49, with a significant increase over the years (p = 0.007). M. canis was the predominant causative agent (74%), followed by T. violaceum (12%), T. tonsurans (7%) and other rare dermatophyte species (7%). M. canis prevalence decreased from 2014 to 2019 (84% to 67%, p = 0.021) in parallel with a three-fold increase in T. violaceum plus T. tonsurans rates (10% to 32%, p = 0.002). An increasing incidence of TC with a shift towards anthropophilic Trichophyton spp. in Greece could be linked to the immigration flows from different socioeconomic backgrounds.

Chylous Ascites as the Main Clinical Symptom of a Strongyloides stercoralis Infection in an Immigrant from Bosnia-Herzegovina

Extraintestinal strongyloidiasis is rare in patients without immunosuppression. We describe the first case of chylous ascites as a result of strongyloidiasis. Alcohol cessation, diuretic therapy and repeated paracentesis did not lead to improvement of refractory chylous ascites with positive nucleic acid amplification test indicative of Strongyloides stercoralis infection. Only after therapy with ivermectin, could diuretics be withdrawn. Although direct proof of S. stercoralis was not possible by microscopy, successfully treated strongyloidiasis was confirmed in this patient by the positive and negative nucleic acid amplification tests from ascites before and after treatment together with the clinical improvement only after antiparasitic therapy.

LEARNING POINTS

In the appropriate setting, chronic parasitic diseases should be considered in patients presenting with unusual symptoms.Alcohol misuse, as a form of immunosuppression, can particularly distract from other underlying conditions presenting with similar signs and symptoms.This case study may represent the first publication of strongyloidiasis manifesting as chylous ascites.

Do Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) mite flows between Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies bias colony infestation evaluation for resistance selection?

Since the global invasion of the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor (Anderson and Trueman), selection of mite-resistant honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies appears challenging and has to date not broadly reduced colony mortality. The low published estimated heritability values for mite infestation levels could explain the limited genetic progresses obtained so far. We hypothesize that intercolonial horizontal mite transmission could differentially affect the single colonies located in a given apiary and therefore invisibly bias colony infestation phenotypes. This bias may be lower in regions with lower colony density, providing suitable conditions to set up evaluation apiaries. To verify these hypotheses, we monitored mite infestation and reinvasion in experimental colonies, as well as infestation in neighboring colonies belonging to beekeepers in three areas with variable colony densities in the canton of Bern, Switzerland during three consecutive beekeeping seasons. Mite immigration fluctuated between apiaries and years and significantly contributed to colony infestation level. Depending on apiary and year, 17-48% of the mites present in the experimental colonies at the time of the summer oxalic acid final treatment potentially derived from mite immigration that had occurred since mid-spring. Mite immigration was not linked to local colony density or the infestation levels of beekeepers' colonies located within 2 km. Our results do not prove that apiaries for colony evaluation should necessarily be established in areas with low colony density. However, they highlight the high impact of beekeeping management practices on mite colony infestation levels.

Welcoming new neighbors: Minnesota's rapid response model to address the urgent health needs of Afghan newcomers, 2021-2022

As a result of the United States withdrawal from Afghanistan in fall 2021, 1,260 Afghan evacuees arrived in Minnesota between October 2021 and February 2022. Several contextual factors including an overtaxed health system under duress from COVID-19 and uncertain benefit eligibility prompted a coordinated public health response to appropriately address the acute and pressing medical concerns of our new neighbors. This community case study describes the State of Minnesota's cross-sectoral response that created a welcoming environment, identified public health concerns, and addressed acute medical needs. Medical volunteers provided an initial health and safety check for Afghan families upon arrival. Volunteers also offered onsite culturally and linguistically appropriate mental health assessments, group therapy, women's clinics, vaccine clinics, medication refills, and ongoing walk-in primary care. Care coordinators facilitated primary care and specialty care referrals. The majority (96%) of eligible arrivals were screened as part of this response and the median time between arrival to Minnesota and initial health screening was 2 days. Half of all arrivals screened reported at least one health concern and 56% were referred to a specialty for further evaluation. Almost one in four adults (24%) reported mental health concerns. Existing partnerships across local sectors can be leveraged to provide comprehensive physical and mental health services to newcomers in an emergency response.

Impact of the 2016 Presidential election and restrictive immigration climate on the work and wellbeing of Bangladeshi immigrant community frontline workers in New York City, U.S.A

Community-based organizations (CBOs) are key players in mitigating the impact of restrictive policy changes on immigrant communities. The ability of these organizations to help diffuse the stress caused by restrictive, rapidly changing immigration policies depends, in part, on the capacity and health of their workforce. This study presents findings from a qualitative study conducted with 10 Bangladeshi community frontline workers working in various CBOs and advocacy organizations to understand their experience navigating a heightened anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim climate. Through thematic analyses, we inferred that the 2016 presidential election increased stress and mobilization among community frontline workers, with a meaningful distinction between participants working for immigration-focused institutions versus those in institutions where immigration issues were not the primary focus (e.g. health services, cultural programming). For those working in immigration-focused institutions, work burden increased due to challenges in managing misinformation, making sense of policy changes, and meeting the needs of families impacted by deportation. A toll on frontline workers' own physical health and mental health was discussed, as well as the need for culturally congruent mental health supports for the South Asian community.

The Susceptibility to Persuasion Strategies Among Arab Muslims: The Role of Culture and Acculturation

This study is set forth to explore whether the susceptibility to persuasion—as articulated by Cialdini’s persuasion strategies—could vary with culture and acculturation. We examined individuals from the Arabic culture and their susceptibility to persuasion, according to the following strategies: reciprocity, commitment, liking, scarcity, consensus, and authority. The study involved 1,315 Arab Muslims between 18 and 60 years old (Mean = 34.65, SD = 9.16). The respondents were recruited from among residents of the Arab region (n = 507), immigrant Arabs in non-Arabic Muslim countries (n = 361), immigrant Arabs in East Asian countries (n = 85), and immigrant Arabs in Western countries (n = 362). Respondents completed an online Qualtrics survey. Controlling for socio-demographic variables (age, gender, income, education, and length of residence), our results indicated that susceptibility to the strategies differed significantly among Arab Muslims in the Arab region, with reciprocity being the highest and authority the lowest prevailing strategies. The same pattern of susceptibility emerged among immigrant Arab Muslims, regardless of their host country and the acculturation mode (integration, assimilation, separation, and marginalization) they endorse. These findings suggest that there is a consistent persuasion susceptibility pattern in the Arabic Muslim culture that does not seem to be modified by immigration and acculturation modes. Our findings are contrasted with the scarce research on cross-cultural differences in susceptibility to Cialdini’s persuasion strategies.

Divided Loyalties: Fire and ICE

This essay explores the challenges of dual loyalty in the emergency setting. The author, an emergency room psychiatrist, finds himself caring for a patient who has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for potential deportation under circumstances that the author finds unjust. He also recognizes that the patient's reported psychiatric symptoms are likely not of the nature or severity to justify a psychiatric admission that might forestall deportation. While the author has taught the subject of dual loyalty in medicine for many years, he struggles with the question of how to balance his duties to further his patient's welfare with his legal obligations to the state and the rule of law.

Delayed colonization of Bifidobacterium spp. and low prevalence of B. infantis among infants of Asian ancestry born in Singapore: insights from the GUSTO cohort study

Background

The loss of ancestral microbes, or the "disappearing microbiota hypothesis" has been proposed to play a critical role in the rise of inflammatory and immune diseases in developed nations. The effect of this loss is most consequential during early-life, as initial colonizers of the newborn gut contribute significantly to the development of the immune system.

Methods

In this longitudinal study (day 3, week 3, and month 3 post-birth) of infants of Asian ancestry born in Singapore, we studied how generational immigration status and common perinatal factors affect bifidobacteria and Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis (B. infantis) colonization. Cohort registry identifier: NCT01174875.

Results

Our findings show that first-generation migratory status, perinatal antibiotics usage, and cesarean section birth, significantly influenced the abundance and acquisition of bifidobacteria in the infant gut. Most importantly, 95.6% of the infants surveyed in this study had undetectable B. infantis, an early and beneficial colonizer of infant gut due to its ability to metabolize the wide variety of human milk oligosaccharides present in breastmilk and its ability to shape the development of a healthy immune system. A comparative analysis of B. infantis in 12 countries by their GDP per capita showed a remarkably low prevalence of this microbe in advanced economies, especially Singapore.

Conclusion

This study provides new insights into infant gut microbiota colonization, showing the impact of generational immigration on early-life gut microbiota acquisition. It also warrants the need to closely monitor the declining prevalence of beneficial microbes such as B. infantis in developed nations and its potential link to increasing autoimmune and allergic diseases.

Risk of Subsequent Preeclampsia by Maternal Country of Birth: A Norwegian Population-Based Study

In this nationwide population-based study, we investigated the associations of preeclampsia in the first pregnancy with the risk of preeclampsia in the second pregnancy, by maternal country of birth using data from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway and Statistics Norway (1990-2016). The study population included 101,066 immigrant and 544,071 non-immigrant women. Maternal country of birth was categorized according to the seven super-regions of the Global Burden of Disease study (GBD). The associations between preeclampsia in the first pregnancy with preeclampsia in the second pregnancy were estimated using log-binomial regression models, using no preeclampsia in the first pregnancy as the reference. The associations were reported as adjusted risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), adjusted for chronic hypertension, year of first childbirth, and maternal age at first birth. Compared to those without preeclampsia in the first pregnancy, women with preeclampsia in the first pregnancy were associated with a considerably increased risk of preeclampsia in the second pregnancy in both immigrant (n = 250; 13.4% vs. 1.0%; adjusted RR 12.9 [95% CI: 11.2, 14.9]) and non-immigrant women (n = 2876; 14.6% vs. 1.5%; adjusted RR 9.5 [95% CI: 9.1, 10.0]). Immigrant women from Latin America and the Caribbean appeared to have the highest adjusted RR, followed by immigrant women from North Africa and the Middle East. A likelihood ratio test showed that the variation in adjusted RR across all immigrant and non-immigrant groups was statistically significant (p = 0.006). Our results suggest that the association between preeclampsia in the first pregnancy and preeclampsia in the second pregnancy might be increased in some groups of immigrant women compared with non-immigrant women in Norway.

Experiences of racial microaggression among immigrant and Canadian-born young adults: Effects of double stigma on mental health and service use

BACKGROUND

Significant disparities in utilization of mental health services exist among immigrant and Canadian-born populations. These gaps may be associated with a 'double stigma' - stigma related to being from a racialized background exacerbated by mental health stigma. Immigrant young adults may be particularly susceptible to this phenomenon, given developmental and social transitions from adolescence to adulthood.

AIMS

To investigate the joint effects of racial microaggression and mental health stigma on mental health and service use among first-generation immigrant and Canadian-born university students.

METHOD

We conducted an online cross-sectional study among first-generation immigrant and Canadian-born university students (N = 1,280, Mage = 19.10, SD = 1.50).

RESULTS

Despite no differences in anxiety or depression symptoms, first-generation (foreign-born) immigrants were less likely to have received therapy and to have taken medication for mental health issues compared to Canadian-born participants. First-generation immigrants also reported experiencing higher levels of racial microaggression and stigma toward service use. Results suggest the presence of a double stigma, mental health stigma and racial microaggression, each explained significant additional variance in symptoms of anxiety and depression and medication use. No effects of double stigma for therapy use were found - while higher mental health stigma predicted lower use of therapy, racial microaggression did not predict unique variance in therapy use.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings highlight the joint effects of racial microaggression and stigma toward mental health and service as barriers to help-seeking among immigrant young adults. Mental health intervention and outreach programmes should target overt and covert forms of racial discrimination while incorporating culturally sensitive anti-stigma approaches to help reduce disparities in mental health service use among immigrants in Canada.

Addressing Global Human Rights Violations in Rhode Island: The Brown Human Rights Asylum Clinic

The Brown Human Rights Asylum Clinic (BHRAC) is a medical student-led organization affiliated with Physicians for Human Rights that collaborates with medical and mental health clinicians, lawyers, and community organizations to provide pro bono medical affidavits to undocumented individuals seeking legal status in the United States. Affidavits can document and corroborate the physical and psychological evidence of trauma alleged by asylum seekers, leading to better legal outcomes. This article describes our innovative program, partnerships, and workflow, as well as demographics and statistics from our past seven years of operation. Since its founding in 2013, BHRAC has conducted 55 medical evaluations, the majority involving Spanish-speaking female-identifying individuals from Guatemala, El Salvador, and the Dominican Republic. Thirteen individuals have been granted legal status, one individual was denied status, and the rest of the cases are pending. BHRAC has experienced a marked increase in affidavit requests. This paper serves as a call to action for medical professionals to become involved in this work.

Immigration to the United States: Recent Trends and Future Prospects

Almost 13 per cent of the American population is foreign born, and if the children of the foreign born are included, about 1 in 4 Americans can be counted as part of the recent immigrant community. Although there is lingering prejudice and popular fears of immigrants, there is growing evidence that, on balance, immigrants make a positive contribution to the American economy and society. There is little evidence that immigrants have an adverse impact on the wages and employment of native born Americans. Moreover, immigrants and their children are disproportionately represented in a broad variety of scientific and cultural fields.

Experiences of Undocumented Parents Reuniting with Children Who Entered the United States as Unaccompanied Minors

In 2021, the United States saw an exponential influx of unaccompanied migrant children crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Upon apprehension at the border, unaccompanied children are placed in the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) temporary shelter facilities. The ORR is responsible for locating, vetting, and releasing the children to their family, guardians, or a suitable sponsor. Undocumented parents seeking reunification may fear cross-examination and background checks. This study aimed to explore the experiences of undocumented families reunified with their children with the help of a community-based organization (CBO). A collective case study method was used to collect qualitative data from seven parents. Respondent parents expressed their rationale for allowing their children to cross the U.S.-Mexico border, their experience with the ORR, and the reasons they pursued community-based guidance. The results document the depth of trauma and difficulties parents of unaccompanied migrant children face with American service providers. It is recommended that immigration-related government agencies form relationships with culturally diverse organizations that are trusted by immigrant communities.

Colombian ocular infectious epidemiology study (COIES): presumed ocular tuberculosis incidence and sociodemographic characterization, 2015-2020

PURPOSE

This study aims to describe the incidence and geographical distribution of presumed ocular tuberculosis (POTB) in Colombia between 2015 and 2020 based on the Colombian Ministry of Health and Social Protection data.

METHODS

We conducted a claims-based study using the Integrated Social Protection Information System database from the Colombian Ministry of Health. We used the specific code of the International Classification of Diseases for Ocular Tuberculosis (A18.5) and tuberculosis from 2015 to 2020 to estimate the incidence and the demographic status of the disease in Colombia. We used STROBE guidelines.

RESULTS

During the 6 years of study, the crude unadjusted incidence was 0.2 new cases of POTB in one million consulting patients and 55 new cases of POTB in 100,000 patients with TB showing a decreasing pattern of the disease. From the 28 new cases, the mean age of presentation was 41.4 years (SD ± 25.3) with a female predominance (60.7% of the cases). Distribution by age shows a higher proportion of cases in groups 15-19 (14%), 20-24 (11%), 55-59 (11%), and 60-64 (11%) years of age. The geographic analysis showed a higher number of cases in Andean region, followed by the Caribbean and Pacific regions.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study that determines the incidence of POTB in a developing country from Latin America. POTB incidence in Colombia is lower than the reported worldwide. It could be attributed to a low burden of Tuberculosis in Colombia, underdiagnosis, and a low rate of immigration from countries with a high burden of TB.

#Lorrydeaths: Structural Topic Modeling of Twitter Users' Attitudes About the Deaths of 39 Vietnamese Migrants to the United Kingdom

In this article, we analyze anti- and pro-immigrant attitudes expressed following the Essex Lorry Deaths tragedy in October 2019 in Britain, in which 39 Vietnamese immigrants died in a sealed lorry truck on their way to their destination. We apply Structural Topic Modeling, an automated text analysis method, to a Twitter dataset (N = 4,376), to understand public responses to the Lorry Deaths incident. We find that Twitter users' posts were organized into two themes regarding attitudes toward immigrants: (1) migration narratives, stereotypes, and victim identities, and (2) border control. Within each theme, both pro- and anti-immigration attitudes were expressed. Pro-immigration posts reflected counter-narratives that challenged the mainstream media's coverage of the incident and critiqued the militarization of borders and the criminalization of immigration. Anti-immigration posts ranged from reproducing stereotypes about Vietnamese immigrants to explicitly blaming the victims themselves or their families for the deaths. This study demonstrates the uses and limitations of using Twitter for public opinion research by offering a nuanced analysis of how pro-and anti-immigration attitudes are discussed in response to a tragic event. Our research also contributes to a growing literature on public opinion about an often-forgotten immigrant group in the UK, the Vietnamese.

Immigrant Status, Citizenship, and Victimization Risk in the United States: New Findings from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)

Until recently, national-level data on criminal victimization in the United States did not include information on immigrant or citizenship status of respondents. This data-infrastructure limitation has hindered scientific understanding of whether immigrants are more or less likely than native-born Americans to be criminally victimized and how victimization may vary among immigrants of different statuses. We address these issues in the present study by using new data from the 2017-2018 National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) to explore the association between citizenship status and victimization risk in a nationally representative sample of households and persons aged 12 years and older. The research is guided by a theoretical framing that integrates insights from studies of citizenship with the literature on immigration and crime, as well as theories of victimization. We find that a person's foreign-born status (but not their acquired U.S. citizenship) confers protection against victimization. We also find that the protective benefit associated with being foreign-born does not extend to those with ambiguous citizenship status, who in our data exhibit attributes similar to the known characteristics of undocumented immigrants. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings and the potential ways to extend the research.

Oral Health, Health Service Utilization, and Age at Arrival to the U.S. among Safety Net Patients

Background: Immigrants’ oral health disparities have not been adequately investigated using a lifecourse approach, which investigates the cumulative effects of risk and protective exposures among other considerations. Methods: We examined self-reported oral health outcomes and health care appointment outcomes among a sample of patients enrolled at a federally qualified health center in Richmond Virginia (N = 327) who were categorized into three groups by approximate age at arrival to the U.S. Results: Study participants who arrived to the U.S. prior to age 18 had better retention of natural dentition, better oral health related quality of life, and a lower proportion of dental appointments to address pain than those who arrived after age 18 or were born in the U.S. Conclusions: Im/migrants’ differentiated oral health outcomes by age at arrival to the U.S. suggest the relevance of lifecourse factors, for example the cumulative effects of risk and protective exposures, and confirm the merits of lifecourse studies of im/migrants’ oral health.

Asian American Surgery: A Short History of Immigration, Naturalization, and Refugee Laws and Policies that Brought Asians to America

Chinese immigration in America in the mid-nineteenth century incited violence and governmental sanctions to restrict Asian immigration and reject citizenship rights. In 1870, Chinese strikebreakers in Massachusetts ignited nationwide demonstrations against Chinese immigration, which ended altogether with the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882). Japanese schoolchildren in San Francisco public schools sparked rioting in 1907, leading Japan to unilaterally limit emigration to the United States (Gentlemen's Agreement, 1908). Congress responded to anti-Punjabi riots (Bellingham, WA, 1907) by refusing naturalization rights to Asians (Barred Zone Act, 1917), policies supported by the Supreme Court (Ozawa, 1922; Thind, 1923). All immigration from Asia was soon prohibited (Johnson-Reed Act, 1924). Anti-Asian measures peaked in 1942 with imprisonment of Japanese in concentration camps, including those with birthright citizenship. Anti-Asian policies unwound in the last half of the 20th century, culminating in sweeping changes in US immunization policy. Naturalization rights were granted to wartime allies against Japan (China, 1943; the Philippines and India, 1946) and the Japanese themselves (1952). Asian women marrying American servicemen were allowed entry into the country (1945, 1950). Prohibitions against Asian immigration were lifted in 1965 (Hart-Celler Act), with preference for those trained in science, technology, and medicine. The refugee crisis that followed the fall of Saigon (1975) drove humanitarian policies that brought evacuees from Southeast Asia and others from throughout the world seeking freedom from persecution (Refugee Act, 1980). Hundreds of thousands from China, South Asia, the Philippines, and Southeast Asia thus settled in the United States, changing American society and medicine.

A Gene-Acculturation Study of Obesity Among US Hispanic/Latinos: The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos

OBJECTIVE

In the United States, Hispanic/Latino adults face a high burden of obesity; yet, not all individuals are equally affected, partly due in part to this ethnic group's marked sociocultural diversity. We sought to analyze the modification of body mass index (BMI) genetic effects in Hispanic/Latino adults by their level of acculturation, a complex biosocial phenomenon that remains understudied.

METHODS

Among 11,747 Hispanic/Latinos adults in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos aged 18 to 76 years from four urban communities (2008-2011), we a) tested our hypothesis that the effect of a genetic risk score (GRS) for increased BMI may be exacerbated by higher levels of acculturation and b) examined if GRS acculturation interactions varied by gender or Hispanic/Latino background group. All genetic modeling controlled for relatedness, age, gender, principal components of ancestry, center, and complex study design within a generalized estimated equation framework.

RESULTS

We observed a GRS increase of 0.34 kg/m 2 per risk allele in weighted mean BMI. The estimated main effect of GRS on BMI varied both across acculturation level and across gender. The difference between high and low acculturation ranged from 0.03 to 0.23 kg/m 2 per risk allele, but varied across acculturation measure and gender.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest the presence of effect modification by acculturation, with stronger effects on BMI among highly acculturated individuals and female immigrants. Future studies of obesity in the Hispanic/Latino community should account for sociocultural environments and consider their intersection with gender to better target obesity interventions.

Psychological, Psychosocial and Obstetric Differences between Spanish and Immigrant Mothers: Retrospective Observational Study

This study analyzed the influence of psychological and psychosocial factors of pregnant women at an obstetric level. The possible differences between Spaniards and immigrants were studied. This was a retrospective observational study. The sample has been divided into two study cohorts, one consisting of Spanish pregnant women and one consisting of foreign pregnant women. Both completed the Revised Postpartum Depression Predictors Inventory and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. A total of 15.9% of Spanish women and 23.2% of immigrants had depressive symptoms. Immigrants claim to have less support at the partner, family, and friendship levels than Spaniards. Moreover, 16.4% of Spaniards vs. 8.1% of immigrants had pregnancy complications; Cesarean section was performed in 16.2% of Spaniards vs. 7.9% of immigrants. A greater number of premature births were detected in immigrants than in Spaniards. Access to universal healthcare is a protective factor against socioeconomic and cultural conditions affecting the mental and obstetrical health of immigrants.

Immigration Status, Educational Level, and Perceived Discrimination in Europe

BACKGROUND

Multiple studies have been conducted to test the moderating effect of immigration on the positive health results yielded through educational attainment. However, no study has been conducted to examine the role of immigration as a moderator in the association between educational level and perceived discrimination in Europe.

AIM

We aimed to study whether an inverse association exists between educational level and perceived discrimination in European countries and whether immigration status moderates the association between educational level and perceived discrimination.

METHODS

Data from the 10th round of the cross-sectional European Social Survey (ESS) were used in this cross-sectional study. A total of 17,596 participants between 15-90 years old who lived in European countries were included. The independent variable was educational level, a categorical variable, and the dependent variable was perceived discrimination. Immigration status was the moderator, and age and sex were confounders.

RESULTS

Of 17,596 participants, 16,632 (94.5%) were native-born and 964 were immigrants (5.5%). We found that higher levels of educational level were protective against perceived discrimination, which was also found in immigrant participants; however, the effect was weaker.

CONCLUSIONS

This study found that educational level was a protective factor against perceived discrimination. This effect, however, was more robust in the native-born participants than in their immigrant counterparts.

Immigration Policy and Latinx/é Children from Mixed-Status Families: Mental Health Consequences and Recommendations for Mental Health Providers

The impact of immigration policies on Latinx/é mixed-status families and their children is undeniable. Changes in immigration policy, focused on increased deportation enforcement, within the last three decades have led to an increased fear of deportation and unique circumstances mixed-status families must navigate. These circumstances, combined with fear of deportation, have had deleterious effects on the psychological well-being of the family, in general, and the children, in particular. This paper reviews the impact of immigration policies on Latinx/é mixed-status families, the unique circumstances of mixed-status families, and the mental health implications these have on the children specifically. Articles and books were selected from various sources that addressed Latinx/é mental health, mixed-status families, and immigration. After a review of the literature, these circumstances emerged: familial separation, citizen children second-class citizenry, developmental implications, psychological implications, and coping mechanisms and strategies of mixed-status families. Recommendations for mental health providers who work with children from mixed-status families are provided.