Objectives: We examined the effects of duration of residence and age at immigration on mortality among US-born and foreign-born Hispanics aged 25 and older. Methods: We analyzed the National Health Interview Survey-National Death Index linked files from 1997–2009 with mortality follow-up through 2011. We used Cox proportional hazard models to examine the effects of duration of US residence and age at immigration on mortality for US-born and foreign-born Hispanics, controlling for various demographic, socioeconomic and health factors. Age at immigration included 4 age groups: <18, 18–24, 25–34, and 35+ years. Duration of residence was 0–15 and >15 years. Results: We observed a mortality advantage among Hispanic immigrants compared to US-born Hispanics only for those who had come to the US after age 24 regardless of how long they had lived in the US. Hispanics who immigrated as youths (<18) did not differ from US-born Hispanics on mortality despite duration of residence. Conclusions: Findings suggest that age at immigration, rather than duration of residence, drives differences in mortality between Hispanic immigrants and the US-born Hispanic population. © 2015, Swiss School of Public Health (outside the USA).

health behaviors Age at immigration Hispanics Acculturation Immigration Mortality

morphometrics Body Weights and Measures exercise human epidemiology Health Behavior middle aged sex difference statistics and numerical data time factor Substance-Related Disorders Time Factors Aged drug dependence chronic disease ethnology Hispanic Americans United States Young Adult Humans migrant Hispanic Adolescent male Emigrants and Immigrants female Socioeconomic Factors risk factor Risk Factors socioeconomics adult age Sex Factors Age Factors mortality