Objective: To provide empirical evidence to assess whether having immigrant parents is a source of variation in health status and in health services' utilization among children.
Method: The analysis was based on the sample of children from the Catalan Health Survey, 2006. Modelling of health status and use of health services was developed from the specification of distinct probabilistic models.
Results: The results indicate that the children of immigrants had a significantly fewer chronic diseases, while perceived health status, according to the self-evaluation of the parents or responsible person, was worse if both parents belonged to this group. Significant differences were found in the utilization of distinct health services.
Conclusions: The analyses developed suggest that parental origin leads to differences in the utilization of the various levels of the Spanish health system. While no widespread pattern of increased or decreased utilization of the whole system was identified, differences were found in the number of specialist visits and admissions. Statements of the child's perceived health status were influenced by immigrant families' socioeconomic conditions, which probably affected outcomes.