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Undocumented Latino Immigrants and the Latino Health Paradox
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Undocumented Latino Immigrants and the Latino Health Paradox

Damaris Lopez Mercado, Alexandra C. Rivera-Gonzalez, Jim P. Stimpson, Brent A. Langellier, Arturo Vargas Bustamante, Maria -Elena De Trinidad Young, Ninez A. Ponce, Clara B. Barajas, Dylan H. Roby and Alexander N. Ortega
American journal of preventive medicine, v 65(2), pp 296-306
01 Aug 2023
PMID: 36890084
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
url
https://escholarship.org/content/qt2gs334s9/qt2gs334s9.pdf?t=shqi45View
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Abstract

General & Internal Medicine Life Sciences & Biomedicine Medicine, General & Internal Public, Environmental & Occupational Health Science & Technology
Introduction: Despite having worse healthcare access and other social disadvantages, immigrants have, on average, better health outcomes than U.S.-born individuals. For Latino immigrants, this is known as the Latino health paradox. It is unknown whether this phenomenon applies to undocu-mented immigrants.Methods: This study used restricted California Health Interview Survey data from 2015 to 2020. Data were analyzed to test the relationships between citizenship/documentation status and physical and mental health among Latinos and U.S.-born Whites. Analyses were stratified by sex (male/ female) and length of U.S. residence (<15 years/>= 15 years).Results: Undocumented Latino immigrants had lower predicted probabilities of reporting any health condition, asthma, and serious psychological distress and had a higher probability of over-weight/obesity than U.S.-born Whites. Despite having a higher probability of overweight/obesity, undocumented Latino immigrants did not have probabilities of reporting diabetes, high blood pres-sure, or heart disease different from those of U.S.-born Whites after adjusting for having a usual source of care. Undocumented Latina women had a lower predicted probability of reporting any health condition and a higher predicted probability of overweight/obesity than U.S.-born White women. Undocumented Latino men had a lower predicted probability of reporting serious psycho-logical distress than U.S.-born White men. There were no differences in outcomes when comparing shorter-with longer-duration undocumented Latino immigrants.Conclusions: This study observed that the Latino health paradox may express patterns for undocumented Latino immigrants that are different from those for other Latino immigrant groups, emphasizing the importance of accounting for documentation status when conducting research on this population.

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#10 Reduced Inequalities
#3 Good Health and Well-Being

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
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