Whether minority concentration in a neighborhood exposes residents to, or protects them from, health risks has generated burgeoning scholarly interests; yet endogeneity as a result of neighborhood selection largely remains unclear in the literature. This study addresses such endogeneity and simultaneously investigates the roles of co-ethnic density and immigrant enclaves in influencing high blood pressure and high cholesterol level among Latinos, the largest minority group in the United States. Pooled cross-sectional data that included both native and foreign-born Latinos of Puerto Rican, Mexican, and other origins (N = 1563) from the 2006 and 2008 Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey were linked to census-tract profiles from the 2005–2009 American Community Survey. Results from both multilevel regression and propensity score matching analysis confirmed the deleterious effect of residential co-ethnic density on Latino adults’ health risks over and above individual risk factors. We also found selection bias associated with the observed protective effect of immigrant concentration, which is likely a result of residential preference. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd

Latino immigrants Sample selection Racial composition Propensity score matching neighborhoods Health

statistical analysis immigrant hypercholesterolemia sampling demography cholesterol blood level health risk residential home population density selection bias minority group human middle aged statistics and numerical data controlled study hypertension Aged Logistic Models Humans ethnology Pennsylvania Hispanic Americans neighborhood Residence Characteristics Cross-Sectional Studies Surveys and Questionnaires United States cross-sectional study migrant psychology classification Adolescent Hispanic male Emigrants and Immigrants Minority Groups female Aged, 80 and over Mexican very elderly risk factor questionnaire population research Latino people Article high risk behavior adult immigrant enclave Puerto Rican propensity score Censuses ethnicity statistical model health hazard Health Risk Behaviors health survey