UTSA Electronic Theses and Dissertations
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This collection contains electronic UTSA theses and dissertations (ETDs), primarily from 2005 to present. The collection is not comprehensive; search the UTSA Library Catalog for a complete list of UTSA theses and dissertations.
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Browsing UTSA Electronic Theses and Dissertations by Department "Demography"
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Item A comparative analysis of intimate partner violence using an ecological framework(2011) Valencia, AlelhieIntimate partner violence (IPV) is one of the most common forms of violence against women worldwide. Between 10% and 71% of women report experiencing some form of IPV throughout their lifetime. IPV has been linked to many adverse physical, reproductive, and mental health outcomes. IPV has also been linked to a number of sociodemographic, social institutional and societal factors. Recently, researchers have begun to use an ecological framework that focuses on the interplay of factors at multiple levels of analysis to organize the many correlates of IPV. The relationship between IPV and fertility control has received little attention. Additionally, research on IPV in developing countries is still limited. The present study employs the ecological framework to evaluate the associations between IPV and factors included in the individual, couple, and social institutional and societal levels of the ecological framework. Proximate level associations with IPV are evaluated using multivariable logistic regression analysis; associations between IPV and structural level factors are evaluated using multilevel analysis. Variations in these associations are explored in three developing countries. Lastly, multivariable logistic regression is used to explore the effect of IPV on contraceptive use. Findings suggest a woman's age, education, especially relative to her partner, and a partner's alcohol consumption are highly associated with the experience of IPV. Findings also provide empirical support for the use of the ecological framework to study IPV, although the effectiveness of the model varies by country setting. Additionally, findings suggest IPV can influence a woman's use of contraceptives and type of contraceptives used; however, these relationships vary by country. Implications for future research and intervention and treatment programs are discussed.Item Acculturation and contraceptive use among Latino adolescents in the U.S(2011) Suarez, Gilbert G.The guiding hypothesis behind this dissertation research is that contraceptive use will increase among adolescents in the U.S. as individual, familial and neighborhood level measures of acculturation increase. Because of the multiple levels of influence in studying this outcome, each component must be studied in isolation in order to understand the unique contribution that individual, familial, and neighborhood characteristics make in determining contraceptive use. First, the associations between contraceptive use and individual level measures of acculturation, such as language used at home, respondent's nativity and generational status were explored. Second, familial level proxy measures of acculturation, like mother and father's nativity, family structure, family atmosphere and parent-teen communication, were explored. Third, neighborhood level measures of acculturation using block groups as a proxy were measured by ethnic composition. These associations at multiple levels were explored controlling for the demographic variables of age, gender and race/ethnicity among adolescents.Item Adapting to car culture: The process of immigrant transportation assimilation in new gateway cities(2010) Cline, Michael E.New gateway cities in the United States have emerged in the past few decades as a result of economic growth and immigrants settling in areas where their labor is needed. These immigrants impact demands for local services such as new and different demands for educational services, among other things. Presumably, changes in demographic characteristics of local areas may impact demand for transportation services---both the level of overall demand and the demand in different types of services (i.e. public transportation). Despite the potential for these changes in demand as a result of growth in immigrant populations, our knowledge about how immigrants use transportation and assimilate to U.S. norms is limited. This dissertation expands our knowledge of the process of assimilation by understanding household automobile acquisition and use for Hispanic and Asian immigrants in selected new gateway cities in the U.S. In this dissertation, immigrant assimilation to the U.S. norm of vehicle ownership and driving alone on the work commute is modeled using logistic regression. I find that immigrants assimilate to the U.S. norm rapidly within the first five years of arrival in the U.S. but that there are differences in vehicle ownership and use that are not explained by demographic, household, and socioeconomic characteristics.Item An analysis of household energy use by racial/ethnic composition: Consumption, efficiency, and lifestyles(2013) Valenzuela, CarlosThe goal of this dissertation is to provide the most recent household energy consumption analysis by racial/ethnic household composition. This dissertation found that significant differences in behavior, energy consumption, and energy efficiency exist by racial/ethnic household composition. The models suggest that behavioral energy intensity is lower among households led by racial/ethnic minorities. Energy consumption and efficiency models suggest that Hispanic households consume less energy and are more efficient, while Black households consume more energy and are less efficient, than White households. However, when stratifying the models by housing vintage, the differences between Hispanic and White households are not consistent. Differences between Black and White households are evident only among those in housing units built before 1980, indicating that Black households in older vintages live in less efficient housing units and could be at a disadvantage that could result in having to pay a higher share of household income on energy use. Results also point towards evidence that energy efficiency standards since the late 1970s could have actually mitigated potential inequality associated with excess energy use by race/ethnicity. Improving energy efficiency of housing units may be beneficial not only to reduce total energy consumption levels, but also have the potential to lessen the burden of energy costs that lower income households (irrespective of race/ethnicity) might experience otherwise.Item An examination of racial/ethnic and socioeconomic differentials in allostatic load biomarkers and the subsequent effects on mortality outcomes in the United States(2014) Howard, Jeffrey T.This study expands on previous research regarding associations between chronic stress biomarkers, allostatic load, and how elevated levels of allostatic load translate into increased mortality risk. The study uses data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III (NHANES III) gathered between 1988 and 1994, and four waves of the continuous NHANES gathered between 2003 and 2010. The NHANES III data were linked to the National Death Index (NDI) to obtain up to 18 years of mortality follow-up, measured through December 2006. The key findings include, (1) that patterns of associations between individual biomarkers and the underlying allostatic load concept differ significantly by race/ethnicity and educational attainment; (2) that comparisons of three different methods of calculating allostatic load differ in terms of reliability statistics, where count-based methods have higher internal consistency than the z-score summation method; (3) that observed racial/ethnic differences in allostatic load can be attributed to differential returns on education, where racial/ethnic differences are observed only for individuals with higher levels of education; (4) that all-cause mortality risk for non-Hispanic Blacks is affected to a greater extent by allostatic load than non-Hispanic Whites and Mexican-Americans; and (5) that allostatic load has a greater impact on diabetes-related death than other specific causes.Item An examination of racial/ethnic differentials in social network use and the subsequent effects on biomarker outcomes for adolescents in the U.S.(2016) Shinaberry, Daniel J.This study expands on previous research regarding associations between social support networks (SSNs) in adolescence and the onset of disease through weight transitions and elevated levels of biomarkers later in life. The study uses Wave I and Wave IV data from The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health Survey gathered between 1994 and 2009. The overarching goal of this research was to examine how the social context of adolescence can influence health risks, and how these outcomes differ by race/ethnicity and SES. To best capture the overarching aims of this study, three quantitative analyses were conducted. The second chapter of the study used principal component analysis to determine the best measure of social support networks and acknowledges the multidimensionality of SSNs. The third chapter utilized hazard modeling to decipher the influence of social support networks on weight transitions over the life course, measured by BMI. The fourth chapter examined the association between SSNs and health insults measured by three groups of 9 specific health biomarkers. The key findings include: (1) social support networks for adolescents should be measured as multidimensional, specifically two concepts emerged - structural and perceived dimensions; (2) significant differences were noted between how SSNs operate for racial/ethnic groups and SES; (3) observed differentials in weight transition can be attributed to differences in SSNs for minority racial/ethnic groups compared to non-Hispanic whites; (4) adolescents with increased perceived and structural dimensions of SSNs were less likely to move to a higher BMI category; (5) SSNs, measured by structural and perceived dimensions, lower the onset of cardiovascular, metabolic-lipid, and metabolic-glucose related diseases in early adulthood; (6) the onset of disease, as measured by specific biomarkers, differs for minorities, particularly Hispanics, compared to non-Hispanic whites; and lastly (6) smoking presented a strong and persistent association to the onset of disease, even after controlling for SSNs, race/ethnicity, and SES.Item Barriers to Health: Place and Food Insecurity as Determinants of Childhood Obesity(2017) Barnett, Jewel E.This dissertation examines the relationship between place, food insecurity, and childhood obesity in the United States. National Survey of Children's Health 2011-2012 data were used to examine this relationship at the household level. United States Department of Agriculture Food Atlas data 2007-2015 along with U.S. Census Bureau 2010 data were used to examine this relationship at the national county level. Texas FitnessGram(TM) 2010-2014 along with U.S. Census Bureau 2010 data and National Education Statistics 2009 data were used to examine this relationship at the Texas school district level. Overall findings include Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic children were found to have a higher likelihood for childhood overweight or obesity compared to Non-Hispanic White children at the household level. Children who received health coverage through Medicaid or CHIP were found to have a higher likelihood for childhood overweight or obesity compared to children without health coverage. At the national county level, increased childhood obesity rates were associated across racial and ethnic populations. Counties with higher rates of National School Free and Reduced Lunch participation were associated with increased rates of childhood obesity. At the school district level minority race and ethnicity students were associated with higher childhood obesity rates. School district Child Nutrition Act funding per child was associated with decreased childhood obesity. The school district Gini coefficient for income inequality was associated with increased childhood obesity. These results suggest that the relationship between place, food insecurity, and childhood obesity is important to understand in order to reduce childhood obesity rates.Item Breast Cancer Prevention Among Immigrant Women: Disparities in Cancer Related Risks and Barriers to Prevention(2018) Ghirimoldi, FedericoBreast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women of all ages in the United States. In spite of increasing awareness about the risk of breast cancer, very low levels of participation in cancer screening tests among certain immigrant groups persist. Previous research highlights that the persistent disparities in breast cancer outcomes among population groups are mainly determined by a lack of awareness about breast cancer risks, and the disparate access to health preventative care. Nonetheless, health science scholars suggest that the usual mechanisms associated to breast cancer prevention are not enough to explain the disparities in cancer screening attendance among population groups. Therefore, additional factors should be considered. The main purpose of this dissertation was to examine the way that migration processes influence and shape the cancer prevention behaviors of immigrant women in the United States. This dissertation connects with past research, by proposing an innovative approach that analyses the cancer prevention behaviors of all major immigrant groups in the U.S. simultaneously. Further, it considers the influence of region of origin, acculturation, and familial cancer experiences on the cancer prevention behaviors of immigrant women. The main findings show that significant disparities in the odds of preventing breast cancer exist not only between immigrant and natives, but also within immigrant groups. Further, the adoption of cancer prevention behaviors of immigrant women can be influenced by multiple factors. Thereby, immigrant's socioeconomic characteristics, acculturation levels, and cancer family history are all significantly associated with the prevention of the disease. Finally, this research has shown that the assimilation trajectories of immigrants are highly related with a disparate access to economic and social resources, and eventually, these trajectories have an impact on the behaviors related to the prevention of breast cancer. In future research, it would be essential to recognize these differences in order to fully understand the impact of immigrant experiences on their health related outcomes.Item Calling it out: The role of institutional racism in disparities in educational outcomes(2012) Locke, Victoria NevinDisparities in educational outcomes are investigated using Critical Race Theory and a quantitative theoretical model from the health literature. Data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Kindergarten Cohort are linked with segregation indices for dissimilarity and poverty interaction derived from US Census 2000 data to estimate the impact of institutional racism on grade retention and middle school science achievement. Discrete time hazard and shared frailty models demonstrate that while blacks are the most likely to be retained in grade, there are racial/ethnic differences in the risk factors. For science achievement, OLS Regression and Hierarchical Linear Models are used to estimate the impact at the individual and school levels of analysis. Students who attended minority-segregated or economically and racially isolated schools in kindergarten have lower science achievement in middle school, as do students who attend schools in eighth grade with fewer resources and a higher percentage of minority students. The empirical analyses indicate that both individual and structural level predictors explain much of the racial/ethnic disparities in educational outcomes.Item Climbing up the Ladder: A Life-Course Perspective on the Social Mobility Trends among Mexicans in the United States and Return Migrants in Mexico(2017) Bautista Leon, AndreaIn the new era of migration between Mexico and the U.S, research has focused on quantifying and identifying the demographic profiles of recent immigrants in the U.S. and returnees in Mexico. However, research on individual trajectories is scarce, especially research looking for mechanisms of educational and occupational attainment that can explain the incorporation in the receiving society and re-incorporation upon return. Through the different chapters in this dissertation, I explore different mechanisms of social mobility among a cohort of migrants in the U.S. and returned migrants in Mexico. In this dissertation, I study two populations. The first is Mexican individuals that migrated before the age of 18 or were born in the U.S. and had Mexican parentage, currently living in the U.S. The second comprises of returned migrants in Mexico who spent at least one year in the U.S. Both populations were born between 1975 and 1985. I study their educational and occupational features and how these are related to the characteristics of the family of origin and other socio-demographic indicators to estimate their intergenerational and intra-generational mobility at different points in time. The uniqueness of this research is the consideration of both 1) intergenerational effects, through the analysis of the effects of the characteristics of the family of origin, and 2) intra-generational effects, related to individual trajectories and life events during the transition to adulthood, on the attainment of social status among a bi-national sample of Mexican migrants.Item Community Cultural Wealth and Latina/o Student Success: An Examination of Community Cultural Wealth in a Multicontextual Model of Latina/o 4-Year College Enrollment(2017) Ozuna, Clarissa R.The collective educational gains made by Latina/os since 1980 are not only noteworthy because they document the social transformation of a population but because they seemingly challenge what we know about contributing factors to student success. As a whole, Latina/o students are achieving higher levels of education despite their stagnant or declining overall social and environmental condition. The extant quantitative literature has yet to identify the individual student characteristics capable of moderating the negative impact of these persistent trends. This research begins to address this gap by considering a multicontextual and culturally relevant model of Latina/o student success that integrates the unique and qualitatively supported values and experiences of Latina/o students into quantitative methods. Drawing upon Yosso's (2005) community cultural wealth (CCW) framework and Perna and Thomas' (2008) multicontextual model of student success, this research sought to answer the question, What role does community cultural wealth have in Latina/o 4-year college enrollment after high school? To do so, three specific aims were met: operationally define and describe the multidimensional concept of CCW for Latina/o students; evaluate the extent to which CCW is associated with 4-year college enrollment in Latina/o students; and examine CCW as a moderator of school-level characteristics within a multicontextual model of 4-year college enrollment. By operationalizing measures of CCW, this study demonstrated that a qualitatively defined construct of social and cultural capital can be effectively operationalized using existing data. Further, this study provided empirical evidence that Latina/o student social and cultural capital is multidimensional and culturally specific. Findings suggest that measures of CCW are positively related to Latina/o 4-year college enrollment and that the influence of the CCW measures outweigh the influence of school-level characteristics.Item Critical Socio-Economic Regions and Dogmatic Capitalism: An Analysis of Inequality and Poverty in Texas(2022) Ramirez, Ricardo G.There has been a chasm in the U.S. as to how income inequality and poverty in the market economy must be understood and, consequently, acted on. A dogmatic camp views these as an abnormality or necessary in an otherwise healthy system. This view promotes free markets and non-intervention and vouches that markets have an inherent tendency to correct themselves. A post-progressive camp recognizes that markets have innate tendencies that benefit an elite class and advocates for balanced intervention. As the debate continues, income inequality has reached one of its worst points, with the gap in average wages between Latinos and whites narrowing by only $0.02 in the past 25 years. In the last 50 years, the poverty rate has decreased by only 1.6 percentage points, as the rate for Latinos and Blacks has, for the most part, exceeded 20%, while that of whites has remained below 10%. This study views income inequality and poverty as arising from one single process, that of the labor exchange. For that purpose, the main research questions begin with: How is the space where the labor exchange occurs defined? As the labor exchange produces inequality, the study proceeds with: What type of a bi-directional relationship do income inequality and jobs have? Lastly, the study focuses on the lower tail of the income distribution and asks: How do income inequality, sectoral employment, and segregation influence poverty? Several data sources are used to analyze these questions, including the American Community Survey, Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics, IPUMS USA, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and cross-walks from the Missouri Census Data Center. The study fills a gap in the literature, addresses a bias in how labor markets are traditionally defined, and proposes an alternative theoretically-based empirical methodology to produce consistently defined "critical socio-economic regions." The research develops an industry typology that aligns with a dual economy and identifies the presence of a self-feeding mechanism in the bi-directional relationship between sectoral employment and inequality as mainly driven by the Dynamic sector and which primarily impacts the share of employment of Latinos. Using micro-data, workers' experience of poverty is also influenced by the Dynamic sector, income inequality at both a PUMA and a sectoral level, and segregation. As the share of Latino workers in their prime working ages (25-54) already surpassed the percentage of white workers in this age group in Texas in 2019, and the Latino workforce is projected to be the largest in the state in the next 14 years, the research appropriately focuses on Texas.Item Demographic Change in the Bahamas: The Role of International Migration(2018) Deleveaux, Jamiko VandezInternational migration in the Caribbean is a widely studied topic, but much of the research has lacked the incorporation of the Bahamas. This research provides the first study to observe the impact of migration on the development of the small island nation. The study investigates how demographic changes due to international migration influence Bahamian development. Additionally, the study asks four questions: 1)What does the Bahamas potentially gain and lose in economic, demographic, and social terms from the migration process as they adapt to gaining and losing human capital?; 2) What is the current demographic profile of the Bahamas and what role does international migration plays?; 3) Are there demographic and socioeconomic complementarities among emigrants, immigrants, and locals in the Bahamian migration process?; and 4) How do foreign nationals view their demographic and social contributions to the development of the Bahamas? The study collected in-depth interviews and field observations in New Providence, Bahamas during 2018. Demographic analysis used secondary data from various international and domestic sources such as the World Health Organization, Bahamas Central Bank, and the Bahamas Department of Statistics. The results of this study show that the impact of international migration is undeniable on Bahamian development. The outmigration of high-skilled citizens most notably women is creating a skill, knowledge, and innovation void in society. Although the Bahamas has sustained losses due to international migration, it also experiences gains from the contributions of immigrants through population growth, economic investments, and labor.Item Determinants of Women's Health in Nigeria: The Role of Media Exposure and Autonomy(2018) Omoregie, JessicaNigeria's underdeveloped healthcare infrastructure has hindered the advancement of human development and addressing pressing health concerns. This study uses a multifaceted approach to examine the impact of media, women's decision-making power on women's status and access to healthcare. This study aimed to investigate how do place-based socio-cultural and economic factors operate differently communities to negatively influence the utilization of reproductive healthcare, thus resulting in high infant mortality rates in Nigeria. Data collection for this study comes from the children's, women's and household data sets from the 2008 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. Four types of statistical methodology were used in the study (1) backwards step-wise logistic regressions; (2) multivariate logistic regression; (3) cox proportional hazard model and (4) descriptive statistics. Four key findings from the research were: (1) exposure to media is shown to greatly influence the utilization of maternal healthcare services during pregnancy; (2) women over the age of 25 with high levels of educational attainment have greater levels of autonomy in household decisions; (3) timing of the first antenatal care visit is an important indicator for child survival and (4) inequities in geography create barriers that prevent women from accessing healthcare. In order for Nigeria to advance and improve health, equity policies must first address the high fertility rates. Two policy recommendations from the researcher suggest increasing access to education for women and using media as a tool to increases women's knowledge about the benefits of using maternal healthcare services are imperative to accomplish this goal.Item Do Investments in Places Benefit People in Poverty? A Case Study of San Antonio's Eastside Promise Zone(2020) Cruz, MonicaIn 2014, President Obama launched the federal Promise Zone initiative to provide tax incentives to distressed urban and rural communities to spur economic development. San Antonio, Texas was one of five communities in the U.S. to receive Promise Zone designation, which targeted a 22 sq. mile geographic area in the city's eastside. This study examines the effects of the Eastside Promise Zone (EPZ) on poverty, employment, median home value and housing cost burden by comparing it to a comparable area in the city that did not receive Promise Zone designation, or non-EPZ. Employing the Longitudinal Tract Database, the study examines socioeconomic factors to measure change over time in the three outcome variables between 1980-2010 in Bexar County (where San Antonio is located), the EPZ, and non-EPZ census tracts used as control areas. The effects of the EPZ are evaluated through a Difference-in-Difference model using 2013 ACS 5-year estimates (pre- EPZ designation) and comparing it to data from the 2018 ACS 5-year estimates (post- EPZ designation). Findings indicate that there was no statistical significance between EPZ and non-EPZ tracts on poverty, median home value and housing cost burden, but the results showed a statistically significant decrease in employment in the EPZ when compared to the non-EPZ tracts after program implementation. Although the Promise Zone designation did not translate into better outcomes when compared to the non-EPZ tracts, both areas experienced a decrease in poverty, and an increase in median home values and educational attainment between 2013-2018. The relative decrease in employment in the EPZ is likely due to stronger economic opportunities in the non-EPZ control area.Item Dropout legacy: exploring the effects of historic neighborhood contexts on contemporary individual and neighborhood dropout behavior(2015) Martinez, Matthew J.This dissertation adds a temporal understanding to current neighborhood effects literature. The main research question of this dissertation project is: What are the effects of neighborhood structure and historical context on contemporary individual and neighborhood outcomes, especially educational outcomes measured by dropout behavior? In order to address this question, the three main research aims presented here are 1) to determine the predictors of a neighborhood experiencing substantial decreases in their dropout rates; 2) to determine the effect of persistently high dropout rates on individual student outcomes; and 3) to examine how neighborhood development policies contribute to the spatial clustering of poverty in the specific case study of Bexar County, Texas. The dissertation introduces the concept of legacy of place, with special emphasis on dropout legacy, which further enhances knowledge about the role neighborhood context plays in determining individual educational outcomes. The unique dataset combining data from the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 and the Neighborhood Change Database allows for the inclusion of dropout legacy effects into traditional educational attainment models. With the development of the concept of dropout legacy, larger social processes like institutional racism can be better understood. This dissertation has policy implications for general neighborhood development, retention and graduation policies, and developing strategies to break cycles of dropout behavior in neighborhoods. This project also creates other avenues for research in neighborhood effects literature and in policy development targeting neighborhood composition/segregation.Item Early Childhood Education: Exploring the Impact on Child Development, Executive Functions, and Elementary School Grade Progression(2018) Galindo, Dorian L.Early childhood education programs have implications on child development and school readiness skills. Participation in early childhood education programs can prepare children for school environments. The purpose of this dissertation was to examine academic outcomes in elementary school after participation in early childhood education programs, such as prekindergarten. Using data from the 1998 and 2011 cohorts of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Studies, the results of the analyses provide evidence that children can benefit from early childhood education programs to an extent. Children who participate in prekindergarten have higher school readiness skills and exhibit greater executive function skills than those who do not. Additionally, elementary school grade retention was examined within the context of participation in early childhood education programs. The findings suggest that participation in early childhood education programs does seem to attenuate grade retention risk. There were analytical limitations due to the documentation of early childhood education participation indicators as well as due to the fragmented cycles of data collection periods. The data restrictions lend themselves to the necessity for improvements in documentation to fully examine the impact of early childhood education program participation on academic performance and grade progression. Future research initiatives should apply a life-course perspective to adequately assess and track long term effects of early childhood education programs on children.Item Employment Changes Corresponding to the Duration of Disability(2018) Krotzer, DanielaThis study examines how the duration of disability influences changes in employment across the working-age US population (ages 18--64). Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) data from the 2004 and 2008 panels (waves 1--14) were analyzed. Multinomial regression analyses measured labor market changes for adults with different durations of disability, measured by employment and work-preventing conditions. Key findings: (1) disability had negative effects on employment change, such as increased job transition and continuous non-employment; adults with long-term disability had lower employment loss and higher employment gain than adults with a short-term disability; (2) adults with a long-term disability had higher odds of experiencing continuous non-employment than adults with a no disability or a short -term disability; (3) women with long-term disability experienced greater job gain and higher continuous non-employment than women with a short-term disability; (4) men with a long-term disability experienced lower job loss, higher job gain and continuous non-employment than men with a short-term disability; (4) Compared to individuals with no disability, NH Whites and NH Blacks with a long-term disability had lower odds than NH Whites and NH Blacks with a short-term disability of experiencing employment to non-employment changes; (5) NH Whites and NH Blacks increased the likelihood of experiencing job gain and continuous non-employment as the duration of disability increased. These results suggest any duration of a disability may lead to employment disparities, such as job transition and continuous non-employment. The degree of employment disparities depended on the duration of the disability, sex and race.Item Environmental risk factors for childhood asthma across multiple settings(2016) Gordon, DanielleAsthma is determined by both genetic and environmental factors, yet there is less research that clearly defines and measures different environments in which children spend most of their time. This study examines the association between children's environments (physical and social) and asthma across diverse settings. The study uses data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey collected between 2003 and 2010, the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort, and the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort 2010-2011 to help fill this gap. The key findings are: (1) young children with asthma are more likely to have elevated lead, although this association is explained by other sociodemographic factors; (2) children living in older homes are at higher risk for elevated lead; (3) for the poorest children, lower maternal education and health insurance predicts elevated lead; (4) preschool children in Head Start are at greater risk of asthma; (5) the effect of child care arrangement is only significantly associated with asthma for low-income children; (6) Kindergarten children attending poorer-quality schools have higher risk of asthma by first grade; and (7) attendance in center-based care prior to school entry, in addition to school-level effects, predicts increased risk of asthma for school-aged children. Disadvantaged children may be restricted to interact in lower quality physical and social environments across multiple settings, which places them at greater vulnerability of poor health. Future research should consider how multiple environmental risk factors impact children's health as they transition to different settings over time rather than focusing on the impact of a single environment.Item Ethnic identification for children of Hispanic intermarriage: Ethnic leakage?(2010) Perez, DeborahEthnic identification of children by a parent is a frequent and important decision made when completing questionnaires which require demographic data. Mixed children, those with parents of different ethnic group membership, are a source of important statistical idiosyncrasies in data collection and population distributions. In this paper I examine the dynamics surrounding an intermarried, Hispanic parents' ethnic identification of a mixed child. The data for this study is from the 5-percent Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) of the 2000 United States (U.S.) Census. This research includes only intermarried couples where one parent is a Hispanic and the other parent is a non-Hispanic. Logistic regressions are used to predict the likelihood that mixed ethnicity children are reported as non-Hispanic. Ethnicity of the daughter and son is measured as dichotomous, as either Hispanic or non-Hispanic. Demographic and socio-economic parental characteristics are used to test hypotheses for the likelihood of non-Hispanic identification of a multi-ethnic child. The results of this study demonstrate that choices of ethnic identification for Hispanic or Non-Hispanic children are increasingly optional and can be predicted based on a number of important parent attributes including, parental U.S. citizenship and the ability to speak English, for both daughters and sons. The predictive characteristics result in differences for sons and daughters. In sum, demographic change is not only a consequence of births, deaths, and immigration but also a consequence of optional Hispanic ethnic identification selection for children of intermarriage.