Foreign-Born are healthier than the US-Born among Older Mexican Origin?

OBJECTIVE: To examine nativity differences in the effect of chronic medical conditions on disability in Mexican Americans aged 75 years and over. DESIGN: Data is from the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiological Study of the Elderly (Hispanic-EPESE) (2004-2005), a population-based study. PARTICIPANTS: 2,069 subjects aged 75 and over. SETTINGS: Five southwestern states: Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and California. MEASUREMENTS: Self-reported medical conditions (arthritis, cancer, diabetes, stroke, heart attack, hip fracture), body mass index (BMI), Activities of Daily Living (ADL) (walking across a small room, bathing, grooming, dressing, eating, transferring from a bed to chair, and using toilet) and gross mobility function (walk up and down stairs and walk 1/2 mile). RESULTS: Out of 2069, 1158 (56.3%) were US-born and 911(43.7%) were Mexico-born. The prevalence of ADL and mobility disability in both US-born and Mexico-born was 32.9%.1 vs 33.9% and 56.6% vs 55.6%, respectively. Compared to US-born, Mexico born tend to have less ADL limitation (OR=0.45; CI: 0.29- 0.70) and less mobility limitation (OR=0.56; CI: 0.36- 0.86) after adjusting socio-demographic variables, medical conditions, and gender-nativity interaction. US-born female is 2.36 times to have ADL disability than the sum of US-born male, and Mexico-born male and female (OR=2.36; CI:1.36- 4.10). CONCLUSION: We found that factors associated with disability among Mexican American aged 75 year and older vary gender, nativity, and their interaction possibly due to immigrant effects. Key words: Nativity, Gender, Mexico-born, US-born, ADL, mobility limitation, Aging, Mexican Americans, immigrants.