Seniors constitute the largest group of hospital users. The increasing share of immigrants in Canada's senior population can affect the demand for hospital care. Data and methods This study used the linked 2006 Census-Hospital Discharge Abstract Database to examine hospitalization during the 2004-to-2006 period, by immigrant status, of Ontario seniors living in community. Hospitalization was assessed with logistic regressions; cumulative length of stay, with zero-truncated negative binomial regressions. All-cause hospitalization and hospitalizations specific to circulatory and digestive diseases were examined. Results Immigrant seniors had significantly low age-/sex-adjusted odds of hospitalization, compared with Canadian-born seniors (OR = 0.81). The odds varied from 0.4 among East Asians to 0.89 among Europeans, and rose with length of time since arrival from 0.54 for recent (1994 to 2003) to 0.86 for long-term (before 1984) immigrants. Adjustment for demographic and socio-economic characteristics did not change the overall patterns. Immigrants' cumulative length of hospital stay tended to be shorter than or similar to that of Canadian-born seniors. Interpretation Immigrant seniors, especially recent arrivals, had lower odds of hospitalization and similar time in hospital, compared with Canadian-born seniors. These patterns likely reflect differences in health status. Variations by world region and disease reflect the diverse health care needs of immigrant seniors. © Minister of Industry, 2014.

aging Length of stay Census Health services Medical record linkage Databases Hospitalization

hospitalization hospital discharge human epidemiology Patient Discharge sex difference statistics and numerical data Aged Databases, Factual Logistic Models factual database length of stay Humans migrant male Emigrants and Immigrants female Socioeconomic Factors medical record socioeconomics Medical Record Linkage population research Ontario age Sex Factors Age Factors Censuses statistical model