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Ethnic Differences in Health: Does Immigration Status Matter?

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  • Karen M. Kobayashi
  • Steven Prus
  • Zhiqiu Lin

Abstract

This study examines health differences between first-generation immigrant and Canadian-born persons who share the same the ethnocultural origin, and the extent to which such differences reflect social structural and health-related behavioural contexts. Data from the 2000/2001 Canadian Community Health Survey show that first generation immigrants of Black and French race/ethnicity tend to have better health than their Canadian-born counterparts, while the opposite is true for those of South Asian, Chinese, and south and east European and Jewish origins. West Asians and Arabs and other Asian groups are advantaged in health regardless of country of birth. Health differences between ethnic foreign- and Canadian-born persons generally converge after adjusting for socio-demographic, SES, and lifestyle factors. Implications for health care policy and program development are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Karen M. Kobayashi & Steven Prus & Zhiqiu Lin, 2008. "Ethnic Differences in Health: Does Immigration Status Matter?," Social and Economic Dimensions of an Aging Population Research Papers 230, McMaster University.
    • Handle: RePEc:mcm:sedapp:230
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    File URL: http://socserv.mcmaster.ca/sedap/p/sedap230.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. William J Furlong & David H. Feeny & George W. Torrance & Ronald D. Barr, 2001. "The Health Utilities Index (HUI®) System for Assessing Health-Related Quality of Life in Clinical Studies," Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis Working Paper Series 2001-02, Centre for Health Economics and Policy Analysis (CHEPA), McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
    2. Dunn, James R. & Dyck, Isabel, 2000. "Social determinants of health in Canada's immigrant population: results from the National Population Health Survey," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 51(11), pages 1573-1593, December.
    3. McDonald, James Ted & Kennedy, Steven, 2004. "Insights into the 'healthy immigrant effect': health status and health service use of immigrants to Canada," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 59(8), pages 1613-1627, October.
    4. Meadows, Lynn M. & Thurston, Wilfreda E. & Melton, Christina, 2001. "Immigrant women's health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 52(9), pages 1451-1458, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Prus, Steven G., 2011. "Comparing social determinants of self-rated health across the United States and Canada," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 73(1), pages 50-59, July.
    2. Cecilia Benoit & Leah Shumka & Kate Vallance & Helga Hallgrímsdóttir & Rachel Phillips & Karen Kobayashi & Olena Hankivsky & Colleen Reid & Elana Brief, 2009. "Explaining the Health Gap Experienced by Girls and Women in Canada: A Social Determinants of Health Perspective," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 14(5), pages 1-13, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    self-rated health; functional health; ethnicity; race; immigration;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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