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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Luisa Franzini, PhD1, Maria Eugenia Fernandez-Esquer, PhD1, Norma Perez, MD1, Melissa Montoya1, Margaret Caughy, PhD1, John Ribble, MD1, Jan M H Risser, PhD2, and William Spears, PhD3. (1) University of Texas School of Public Health, 1200 Herman Pressler, Houston, TX 77030, 713 500 9487, lfranzini@sph.uth.tmc.edu, (2) Epidemiology, University of Texas School of Public Health, 1200 Herman Pressler, RAS E 703, Houston, TX 77030, (3) San Antonio satellite, University of Texas School of Public Health, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX 78284
Background: In recent years, the contribution of socioeconomic and cultural determinants of health has been increasingly recognized. In this study, we investigate whether socioeconomic and cultural factors vary between US born and Mexico born Mexican Americans and how these variations affect health in the two groups. Methods: Face to face interviews were conducted in 2001 with 227 US born and 651 Mexico born Mexican Americans in Harris County, Texas. Information on self-perceived health, income, education in the US and Mexico, social support, religiosity, and spirituality was collected. Independent t tests compared means between US born and Mexico born Mexican Americans. Multivariate regression analysis was used to estimate the influence of education, income, social support, religiosity and spirituality on self-perceived health. Results: US born had higher income, more education, and more social support than their foreign born counterparts. There was no difference in self-perceived health or religiosity. After controlling for age and sex, better self-perceived health was associated with more religiosity, higher income, and more education. Conclusions: Though immigrants and non-immigrants differ in several dimensions, self-perceived health was similar in the two groups in our sample. While religiosity appears to positively affect self-perceived health, spirituality and social support seem to be less predictive of health outcomes than traditional socioeconomic indicators such as education and income.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to
Keywords: Immigration, Social Inequalities
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.