Could “Acculturation” Effects be Explained by Latent Health Disadvantages among Mexican Immigrants?

Brian K. Finch, RAND

In this study, we propose to investigate the culpability of latent health disadvantage in producing spurious relationships between duration (years in the US) and health declines among Mexican-origin immigrants in the United States. Using biological markers, self-reported morbidities, and objective physician health ratings—we seek to determine whether immigrants, although ostensibly healthier than respective native-borns, might exhibit higher rates of latent health disadvantages due to residence in Mexico. Using data from the 3rd National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), we utilize biological measures of allostatic load to determine whether immigrants—while symptomatically healthier than native borns—might actually exhibit higher levels of cumulative system dysregulation that will ultimately manifest itself in terms of health declines with duration in the US. Thus, later-life health declines that are the result of early life wear and tear in Mexico might by spuriously attributed to duration and/or acculturation effects.