Health status and behavioral risk factors in older adult Mexicans and Mexican immigrants to the United States.

TitleHealth status and behavioral risk factors in older adult Mexicans and Mexican immigrants to the United States.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2013
AuthorsAguila, E, Escarce, JJ, Leng, M, Morales, L
JournalJ Aging Health
Volume25
Issue1
Pagination136-58
Date Published2013 Feb
ISSN Number1552-6887
KeywordsAged, Emigrants and Immigrants, Emigration and Immigration, Female, Health Status, Health Surveys, Humans, Male, Mexican Americans, Mexico, Middle Aged, Risk Factors, Risk-Taking, Social Class, United States
Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Investigate the "salmon-bias" hypothesis, which posits that Mexicans in the U.S. return to Mexico due to poor health, as an explanation for the Hispanic health paradox in which Hispanics in the United States are healthier than might be expected from their socioeconomic status.

METHOD: Sample includes Mexicans age 50 years or above living in the United States and Mexico from the 2003 Mexican Health and Aging Study and the 2004 Health and Retirement Study. Logistic regressions examine whether nonmigrants or return migrants have different odds than immigrants of reporting a health outcome.

RESULTS: The salmon-bias hypothesis holds for select health outcomes. However, nonmigrants and return migrants have better health outcomes than immigrants on a variety of indicators.

DISCUSSION: Overall, the results of this study do not support the salmon-bias hypothesis; other explanations for the paradox could be explored.

URLhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3663916/
DOI10.1177/0898264312468155
User Guide Notes

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23264441?dopt=Abstract

Alternate JournalJ Aging Health
Citation Key7916
PubMed ID23264441
PubMed Central IDPMC3663916
Grant ListP30 AG021684 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG018016 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
P30-AG021684 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States