State-level health care access and use among children in US immigrant families.

OBJECTIVES: We examined the association between children's state of residence and their access to health care among specific types of immigrant families: foreign-born children, US-born children with 1 foreign-born parent, US-born children with both foreign-born parents, and nonimmigrant families. METHODS: We analyzed data from 12 400 children from the 2003 National Survey of Children's Health in the 6 states with the highest proportion of immigrants (California, Florida, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, and Texas). RESULTS: Multivariable analyses indicated that among foreign-born children, those living in California, Illinois, and Texas were more likely to lack access to health care compared with those living in New York. Among foreign-born children with 1 or 2 US-born parents, Texas children were most likely to lack health insurance. Within nonimmigrant families, children from California, Florida, and Texas had significantly more access and use problems. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings document differential health care access and use among states for specific immigrant family types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]