This study examines the physical health status of immigrants with specific considerations of Asian and Hispanic populations and explores possible mechanisms through which health outcomes of interest can be explained. Analyses of the National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS) of 2000 and 2001 revealed that foreign-born individuals reported fewer chronic diseases (hypertension, heart disease, asthma, cancer and diabetes) and had lower prevalences of various chronic diseases compared with U.S.-born whites, controlling for possible confounders and mediators. However, U.S-born minority groups did not show the health advantage seen in foreign-born immigrants, reflecting the importance of nativity distinctions in studying immigrant health. Despite having fewer chronic diseases, foreign-born Asians were more likely to rate their health negatively relative to their U.S.-born counterparts and to U.S.-born whites. In addition, our findings provide evidence that failure to consider comorbid status may attenuate the nativity effect on certain chronic diseases. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2007.

Hispanic Comorbidity Asian self-rated health Chronic diseases

immigrant Asian Caucasian neoplasm Health Status Disparities minority group human Health Behavior Self Report comorbidity middle aged diabetes mellitus controlled study priority journal health status hypertension chronic disease Hispanic Americans United States Humans Hispanic Asian Americans male asthma Emigrants and Immigrants Socioeconomic Factors female Risk Factors heart disease prevalence Article major clinical study adult ethnicity