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Changes in health selection of obesity among Mexican immigrants: A binational examination

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  • Ro, Annie
  • Fleischer, Nancy

Abstract

Health selection is often measured by comparing the health of more recent immigrants to the native born of their new host country. However, this comparison fails to take into account two important factors: (1) that changes in the health profile of sending countries may impact the health of immigrants over time, and (2) that the best comparison group for health selection would be people who remain in the country of origin. Obesity represents an important health outcome that may be best understood by taking into account these two factors. Using nationally-representative datasets from Mexico and the US, we examined differences in obesity-related health selection, by gender, in 2000 and 2012. We calculated prevalence ratios from log-binomial models to compare the risk of obesity among recent immigrants to the US to Mexican nationals with varying likelihood of migration, in order to determine changes in health selection over time. Among men in 2000, we found little difference in obesity status between recent immigrants to the US and Mexican non-migrants. However, in 2012, Mexican men who were the least likely to migrate had higher obesity prevalence than recent immigrants, which may reflect emerging health selection. The trends for women, however, indicated differences in obesity status between recent Mexican immigrants and non-migrants at both time points. In both 2000 and 2012, Mexican national women had significantly higher obesity prevalence than recent immigrant women, with the biggest difference between recent immigrants and Mexican women who were least likely to migrate. There was also indication that selection increased with time for women, as the differences between Mexican nationals and recent immigrants to the US grew from 2000 to 2012. Our study is among the first to use a binational dataset to examine the impact of health selectivity, over time, on obesity.

Suggested Citation

  • Ro, Annie & Fleischer, Nancy, 2014. "Changes in health selection of obesity among Mexican immigrants: A binational examination," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 114-124.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:123:y:2014:i:c:p:114-124
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.10.047
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Aresha M. Martinez-Cardoso & Arline T. Geronimus, 2021. "The Weight of Migration: Reconsidering Health Selection and Return Migration among Mexicans," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-12, November.
    3. Christina J. Diaz & Liwen Zeng & Ana P. Martinez-Donate, 2018. "Investigating Health Selection Within Mexico and Across the US Border," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 37(2), pages 181-204, April.
    4. Nejad, Maryam Naghsh & Schurer, Stefanie, 2022. "Cognitive and non-cognitive abilities of immigrants: New perspectives on migrant quality from a selective immigration country," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 203(C), pages 107-124.
    5. Yao Yi & Yu Liao & Lingling Zheng & Mengjie Li & Jing Gu & Chun Hao & Yuantao Hao, 2019. "Health Selectivity and Rural-Urban Migration in China: A Nationwide Multiple Cross-Sectional Study in 2012, 2014, 2016," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-14, May.
    6. Dondero, Molly & Van Hook, Jennifer, 2016. "Generational status, neighborhood context, and mother-child resemblance in dietary quality in Mexican-origin families," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 212-220.
    7. Giuntella, Osea, 2017. "Why does the health of Mexican immigrants deteriorate? New evidence from linked birth records," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 1-16.

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