Studies in the U.S. and elsewhere have generally shown that higher social position is strongly associated with lower mortality risks and better health at all levels of the socioeconomic ladder. However, the situation for the Latino population is more complex. Despite the poorer socioeconomic status of Latinos, their infant and adult mortality rates are generally the same as or lower than those for whites, a pattern often referred to as the """"""""Hispanic Paradox."""""""" A second puzzle pertains to findings in the literature that, despite this mortality advantage, Latino survey respondents are more likely than those in other ethnic groups to rate their overall health as fair or poor. Our preliminary research based on three data sets reveals yet another paradox: for a broad range of health-related behaviors and health outcomes, the social gradients in health for Latino youth and adults are weak or virtually non-existent in contrast to the generally strong gradients for whites. In the proposed project, we will systematically investigate the relationships between socioeconomic status, immigrant status, health behavior, and health outcomes for Latinos in the United States. Although our principal focus will be the Latino population, we will also examine these relationships for other ethnic groups. In addition, we will investigate associations between socioeconomic status and health outcomes in Mexico, which is the largest sending country for Latino immigrants in the U.S. Data for the analysis will come from waves 1 and 2 of the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Survey, from the National Health Interview Survey, and from the Mexican Encuesta Nacional de Salud. Our overall goal is to develop a more comprehensive understanding of Latino health.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01HD051764-03
Application #
7615694
Study Section
Social Sciences and Population Studies Study Section (SSPS)
Program Officer
Clark, Rebecca L
Project Start
2007-05-01
Project End
2012-04-30
Budget Start
2009-05-01
Budget End
2010-04-30
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$412,130
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California Los Angeles
Department
Public Health & Prev Medicine
Type
Schools of Public Health
DUNS #
092530369
City
Los Angeles
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
90095
Downer, Brian; González-González, Cesar; Goldman, Noreen et al. (2018) The effect of adult children living in the United States on the likelihood of cognitive impairment for older parents living in Mexico. Ethn Health 23:57-71
Young, Maria-Elena De Trinidad; Pebley, Anne R (2017) Legal Status, Time in the USA, and the Well-Being of Latinos in Los Angeles. J Urban Health 94:764-775
Goldman, Noreen (2016) Will the Latino Mortality Advantage Endure? Res Aging 38:263-82
Bzostek, Sharon; Sastry, Narayan; Goldman, Noreen et al. (2016) Using vignettes to rethink Latino-white disparities in self-rated health. Soc Sci Med 149:46-65
Arenas, Erika; Goldman, Noreen; Pebley, Anne R et al. (2015) Return Migration to Mexico: Does Health Matter? Demography 52:1853-68
Goldman, Noreen; Pebley, Anne R; Creighton, Mathew J et al. (2014) The consequences of migration to the United States for short-term changes in the health of Mexican immigrants. Demography 51:1159-73
Buttenheim, Alison M; Goldman, Noreen; Pebley, Anne R (2013) Underestimation of adolescent obesity. Nurs Res 62:195-202
Ullmann, S Heidi; Goldman, Noreen; Pebley, Anne R (2013) Contextual factors and weight change over time: a comparison between U.S. Hispanics and other population sub-groups. Soc Sci Med 90:40-8
Buttenheim, Alison M; Pebley, Anne R; Hsih, Katie et al. (2013) The shape of things to come? Obesity prevalence among foreign-born vs. US-born Mexican youth in California. Soc Sci Med 78:1-8
Creighton, Mathew J; Goldman, Noreen; Pebley, Anne R et al. (2012) Durational and generational differences in Mexican immigrant obesity: is acculturation the explanation? Soc Sci Med 75:300-10

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