IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/anname/v684y2019i1p165-187.html

Gender and Health in Mexico: Differences between Returned Migrants and Nonmigrants

Author

Listed:
  • Katharine M. Donato
  • Erin R. Hamilton
  • Anthony Bernard-Sasges

Abstract

This study considers gender differences in the health of Mexican migrants who return to Mexico from the United States, and Mexican nonmigrants. We use health data before and after migration to examine disparities in women’s and men’s childhood and adult health, comparing returned migrants and nonmigrants in Mexico. Using data on more than 14,000 household heads and their spouses interviewed between 2007 and 2016 in the Mexican Migration Project, we find evidence of only a few gendered patterns of health among migrants. Specifically, women migrants are more positively selected on height than are male migrants. We also find a stronger, positive association between migration and smoking among women: although women are less likely to smoke than men, the difference is smaller among returned migrants than among nonmigrants. In contrast, we find no evidence that the positive migrant selection on self-rated health at age 14, or negative migrant selection on emotional disorders, varies by gender, or that there is an association among migration and obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease.

Suggested Citation

  • Katharine M. Donato & Erin R. Hamilton & Anthony Bernard-Sasges, 2019. "Gender and Health in Mexico: Differences between Returned Migrants and Nonmigrants," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 684(1), pages 165-187, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:anname:v:684:y:2019:i:1:p:165-187
    DOI: 10.1177/0002716219857964
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0002716219857964
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/0002716219857964?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Michael S. Rendall & Susan W. Parker, 2014. "Two Decades of Negative Educational Selectivity of Mexican Migrants to the United States," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 40(3), pages 421-446, September.
    2. Elizabeth Fussell & Douglas Massey, 2004. "The limits to cumulative causation: International migration from Mexican Urban Areas," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 41(1), pages 151-171, February.
    3. Cynthia Feliciano, 2005. "Educational selectivity in U.S. Immigration: How do immigrants compare to those left behind?," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 42(1), pages 131-152, February.
    4. Erin R. Hamilton, 2015. "Gendered disparities in Mexico-U.S. migration by class, ethnicity, and geography," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 32(17), pages 533-542.
    5. Deon Filmer & Lant Pritchett, 2001. "Estimating Wealth Effects Without Expenditure Data—Or Tears: An Application To Educational Enrollments In States Of India," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 38(1), pages 115-132, February.
    6. Robert Hummer & Daniel Powers & Starling Pullum & Ginger Gossman & W. Frisbie, 2007. "Paradox found (again): Infant mortality among the Mexican-origin population in the united states," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 44(3), pages 441-457, August.
    7. Shawn Kanaiaupuni & Katharine Donato, 1999. "Migradollars and mortality: The effects of migration on infant survival in Mexico," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 36(3), pages 339-353, August.
    8. Christina J. Diaz & Stephanie M. Koning & Ana P. Martinez-Donate, 2016. "Moving Beyond Salmon Bias: Mexican Return Migration and Health Selection," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 53(6), pages 2005-2030, December.
    9. Anita A Davies & Rosilyne M Borland & Carolyn Blake & Haley E West, 2011. "The Dynamics of Health and Return Migration," Working Papers id:4331, eSocialSciences.
    10. Erin Hamilton & Andrés Villarreal & Robert Hummer, 2009. "Mother’s, Household, and Community U.S. Migration Experience and Infant Mortality in Rural and Urban Mexico," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 28(2), pages 123-142, April.
    11. repec:sae:mrxval:v:27:y:1993:i:4:p:748-771 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Cassio M. Turra & Noreen Goldman, 2007. "Socioeconomic Differences in Mortality Among U.S. Adults: Insights Into the Hispanic Paradox," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 62(3), pages 184-192.
    13. Anita A Davies & Rosilyne M Borland & Carolyn Blake & Haley E West, 2011. "The Dynamics of Health and Return Migration," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(6), pages 1-4, June.
    14. Claudia Masferrer & Bryan Roberts, 2012. "Going Back Home? Changing Demography and Geography of Mexican Return Migration," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 31(4), pages 465-496, August.
    15. Cassio Turra & Irma Elo, 2008. "The Impact of Salmon Bias on the Hispanic Mortality Advantage: New Evidence from Social Security Data," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 27(5), pages 515-530, October.
    16. Erika Arenas & Noreen Goldman & Anne Pebley & Graciela Teruel, 2015. "Return Migration to Mexico: Does Health Matter?," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 52(6), pages 1853-1868, December.
    17. Ro, Annie & Fleischer, Nancy L. & Blebu, Bridgette, 2016. "An examination of health selection among U.S. immigrants using multi-national data," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 158(C), pages 114-121.
    18. Fernando Riosmena & Rebeca Wong & Alberto Palloni, 2013. "Migration Selection, Protection, and Acculturation in Health: A Binational Perspective on Older Adults," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 50(3), pages 1039-1064, June.
    19. Rubalcava, L.N. & Teruel, G.M. & Thomas, D. & Goldman, N., 2008. "The healthy migrant effect: New findings from the Mexican Family Life Survey," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 98(1), pages 78-84.
    20. Marcela Cerrutti & Douglas Massey, 2001. "On the auspices of female migration from Mexico to the United States," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 38(2), pages 187-200, May.
    21. Alberto Palloni & Elizabeth Arias, 2004. "Paradox lost: Explaining the hispanic adult mortality advantage," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 41(3), pages 385-415, August.
    22. Fernando Riosmena & Randall Kuhn & Warren C. Jochem, 2017. "Explaining the Immigrant Health Advantage: Self-selection and Protection in Health-Related Factors Among Five Major National-Origin Immigrant Groups in the United States," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 54(1), pages 175-200, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Alessandro Ferrara & Renee Luthra & Lucinda Platt, 2025. "Are Immigrants Selected on Height? And Does this Bring a Health Premium in the Destination Country?," RFBerlin Discussion Paper Series 2503, ROCKWOOL Foundation Berlin (RFBerlin).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. 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.
    2. Hiram Beltrán-Sánchez & Alberto Palloni & Fernando Riosmena & Rebeca Wong, 2016. "SES Gradients Among Mexicans in the United States and in Mexico: A New Twist to the Hispanic Paradox?," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 53(5), pages 1555-1581, October.
    3. Fernando Riosmena & Randall Kuhn & Warren C. Jochem, 2017. "Explaining the Immigrant Health Advantage: Self-selection and Protection in Health-Related Factors Among Five Major National-Origin Immigrant Groups in the United States," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 54(1), pages 175-200, February.
    4. Ullmann, S. Heidi & Goldman, Noreen & Massey, Douglas S., 2011. "Healthier before they migrate, less healthy when they return? The health of returned migrants in Mexico," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 73(3), pages 421-428, August.
    5. Mathieu Ichou & Matthew Wallace, 2019. "The Healthy Immigrant Effect: The role of educational selectivity in the good health of migrants," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 40(4), pages 61-94.
    6. Joshua Wassink, 2018. "Uninsured migrants: Health insurance coverage and access to care among Mexican return migrants," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 38(17), pages 401-428.
    7. Paglino, Eugenio & Elo, Irma T., 2025. "US-born and foreign-born life expectancy by race and Hispanic origin before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 380(C).
    8. Neil K. Mehta & Irma T. Elo & Michal Engelman & Diane S. Lauderdale & Bert M. Kestenbaum, 2016. "Life Expectancy Among U.S.-born and Foreign-born Older Adults in the United States: Estimates From Linked Social Security and Medicare Data," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 53(4), pages 1109-1134, August.
    9. Touma, Fatima & Hummer, Robert A., 2022. "Race/ethnicity, immigrant generation, and physiological dysregulation among U.S. adults entering midlife," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 314(C).
    10. Casanova, Maria & Aguila, Emma, 2020. "Gender differences in cognitive function among older Mexican immigrants," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 16(C).
    11. Paglino, Eugenio & Elo, Irma T. & Martikainen, Pekka, 2025. "Internal migration, health selection, and the salmon bias: A register-based study of Finland," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 380(C).
    12. repec:osf:socarx:tw9a4_v1 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Lariscy, Joseph, 2011. "Differential Record Linkage by Hispanic Ethnicity and Age in Linked Mortality Studies: Implications for the Epidemiologic Paradox," SocArXiv tw9a4, Center for Open Science.
    14. Christina J. Diaz & Stephanie M. Koning & Ana P. Martinez-Donate, 2016. "Moving Beyond Salmon Bias: Mexican Return Migration and Health Selection," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 53(6), pages 2005-2030, December.
    15. Mark Hayward & Robert Hummer & Chi-Tsun Chiu & César González-González & Rebeca Wong, 2014. "Does the Hispanic Paradox in U.S. Adult Mortality Extend to Disability?," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 33(1), pages 81-96, February.
    16. Levchenko, Yuliana, 2021. "Aging into disadvantage: Disability crossover among Mexican immigrants in America," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 285(C).
    17. Jennifer Hook & Weiwei Zhang, 2011. "Who Stays? Who Goes? Selective Emigration Among the Foreign-Born," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 30(1), pages 1-24, February.
    18. Katrien Vanthomme & Hadewijch Vandenheede, 2021. "Factors Associated with Return Migration of First-Generation Immigrants in Belgium (2001–2011)," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 37(3), pages 603-624, July.
    19. Erika Arenas & Noreen Goldman & Anne Pebley & Graciela Teruel, 2015. "Return Migration to Mexico: Does Health Matter?," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 52(6), pages 1853-1868, December.
    20. 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.
    21. Fernando Riosmena & Rebeca Wong & Alberto Palloni, 2013. "Migration Selection, Protection, and Acculturation in Health: A Binational Perspective on Older Adults," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 50(3), pages 1039-1064, June.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:anname:v:684:y:2019:i:1:p:165-187. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.