The Health of Immigrant Youth in Denmark: Examining Immigrant Generations and Origin

Abstract

First-generation migrants tend to have better health than those of native ancestry, while second-generation migrants often are affected by negative health assimilation. Less is known about immigrants arriving before their teens, the 1.5 generation, or those with one native and one immigrant parent, the 2.5 generation. We apply logistic regression models to study physical and mental health outcomes for immigrant youth across generations using Danish register data. We take heterogeneities into account studying gender and origin differences. Our analysis shows that first- and 1.5-generation immigrants have better physical health than natives, while the physical health of the second and 2.5 generations is the same or worse than natives. For mental health, the 2.5 generation is the only group with worse outcomes than natives, which we relate to identification struggles translating into poorer mental health. When studying potential heterogeneities, we find that males belonging to the second generation with an African background have a higher likelihood of hospitalization for a mental health issue.