Does Americanization have adverse effects on health?: Stress, health habits, and infant health outcomes among Puerto Ricans

Generational differences in the social circumstances, health habits, and in fant health outcomes of Puerto Rican women are examined using recently coll ected data from the Puerto Rican Maternal and Infant Health Study. The resu lts show that recent migrants to the U.S, mainland experience fewer stressf ul life events and are less likely to engage in negative health behaviors d uring pregnancy than US-born Puerto Rican women. Recent migrants also exhib it better infant health outcomes than childhood migrants and U.S.-born wome n. Risk factors (e.g., low human capital, meager financial resources, and r esidence in disadvantaged neighborhoods) and protective factors (e.g., stro ng family support and a Latino cultural orientation) identified in theories of segmented assimilation are related to the outcomes examined but cannot explain the generational differences that are documented.