Abstract
Objectives: In this article, we investigate the association between age at migration and mortality during a 13-year period in a sample of Mexican American immigrants 65 and older at baseline. Method: We employ the Hispanic Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (H-PESE) to control for mortality-related health and social factors. Results: Our analyses show that the immigrant generation does not represent a homogeneous mortality risk category. Individuals who migrated to the United States in mature adulthood have a considerably lower risk of death than individuals who migrated in childhood or midlife. Chronic conditions or functional capacity do not account for these differences. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that standard risk pools may differ significantly on the basis of genetic and unmeasured life-course factors. A better understanding of the late-life immigrant mortality advantage has important implications for more effective and targeted social and medical interventions.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 914-931 |
Number of pages | 18 |
Journal | Journal of aging and health |
Volume | 22 |
Issue number | 7 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 2010 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Mexico
- living arrangements
- migration
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Health(social science)
- Sociology and Political Science
- Life-span and Life-course Studies