Sex, Nativity, and Disability in Older Mexican Americans

Objectives To examine the effect of nativity and sex on activities of daily living (ADLs) and mobility limitations in older Mexican Americans. Design Cross-sectional. Setting Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiological Study of the Elderly (Hispanic EPESE) (2004-05). Participants Noninstitutionalized Mexican Americans aged 75 and older (N = 2,069; 56.3% U.S. born, 43.7% Mexican born). Measurements Sociodemographic characteristics, self-reported medical conditions (arthritis, cancer, diabetes mellitus, stroke, heart attack, hip fracture), ADLs, and gross mobility function. Results The prevalence of ADL limitation was 32.9% in U.S.-born participants and 33.9% in Mexican-born participants of mobility limitation was 56.6% in U.S.-born participants and 55.6% in Mexican-born participants. Mexican-born participants tended to report less ADL limitation (odds ratio (OR) = 0.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.59-1.05)) after controlling for sociodemographic variables and medical conditions. They were also less likely to report mobility limitation (OR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.48-0.86) after controlling for all covariates. There was a significant effect of the interaction between nativity and sex (OR = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.24-0.74) on ADL limitation, suggesting that Mexican-born men were less disabled than U.S.-born men, whereas the opposite was true for women. No significant interaction between nativity and sex was found for mobility limitation. Conclusion Mexican-born men were less disabled than their U.S.-born counterparts, and Mexican-born women were more likely to report disability than Mexican-born men.