Post by Okwes on Mar 6, 2006 13:52:59 GMT -5
Foreign-born healthier than natives
CDC: Health declines the longer immigrants stay
By Kristen Gerencher, Markethingych
Last Update: 2:20 PM ET Mar 3, 2006
SAN FRANCISCO (Markethingych) -- Call it a cruel twist to a foreigner's
dream of coming to America.
Despite having less access to care and health insurance coverage and
generally being less well off, newly arrived immigrants report having
significantly better physical and mental health than people who were
born in the United States.
But they typically get to enjoy such a benefit only if they return home
within a few years because their health tends to decline the longer they
stay, according to a study from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) released this week.
"In general, immigrant adults in the U.S. are healthier than their
U.S.-born counterparts," CDC Statistician Achintya Dey said. "The longer
they live in the U.S., the more their health resembles their U.S.-born
counterparts."
However, experience within the groups can vary widely. "The mechanism by
which acculturation affects health outcomes may not be the same for all
ethnic groups," Dey said, citing data that showed foreign-born,
newly-arrived whites had a higher prevalence of serious psychological
distress than white immigrants residing in the U.S. longer than five
years.
The health picture for U.S.-born adults was far from encouraging.
Native-born adults were more likely to smoke, have high blood pressure
and cardiovascular disease than those who did not have U.S. citizenship
at birth.
The U.S.-born were also nearly 50% more likely to be obese and spent an
average one and a half more days in bed because they were sick or
disabled compared with their immigrant counterparts.
Educational attainment varied by country of origin, but immigrants
overall were more likely to live in poor households, the survey said.
White immigrants were least likely to be living in poor households,
followed by Asian, black and Hispanic immigrants.
Still, immigrants typically have to be healthy and strong of mind and
body to be able to leave their country of origin and establish a new
life in the U.S., Dey said.
Obesity a major problem
More than half of immigrants to the U.S. today come from Latin America,
primarily from Central America, according to the study.
Of Hispanic immigrants living in the United States for at least five
years, 22% were obese, compared with 16% of Latino immigrants who've
resided here for less than five years, according to the CDC's sample
data from the National Health Interview Survey 1998-2003.
Those living in the U.S. longer also were more likely to have high blood
pressure -- 20% to 13% -- and cardiovascular diseases, though that ratio
was less significant at 5% versus 4%.
Health profile distinctions between newly-arrived and native-born
African Americans also were striking. Immigrant blacks rated their
health much more positively, were much less likely to have limited
functioning in the activities of daily living and had fewer bed
disability days than did native-born blacks, the survey said.
Rates of obesity and smoking were lower as well among the newly arrived.
A third of native-born black adults were obese compared with 19% of
their foreign-born counterparts.
Geography and local customs of where each group settled also may play a
role. Foreign-born blacks were more likely to live in the Northeast
while nearly six in 10 U.S.-born blacks lived in the South.
Asians, regardless of whether they were native or foreign-born, were
more likely to live in households where income was at least $75,000
compared with the other groups, the survey said.
But despite their income advantage, Asians weren't immune to the obesity
problem. U.S.-born Asians were twice as likely to be obese as their
immigrant counterparts -- 11% to 5%. White and Hispanic groups also saw
an obesity differential -- 21% to 14% for whites and 30% to 21% for
Hispanics.
This week, U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona elaborated on what's at
stake from having two-thirds of the overall population overweight and
seeing obesity rates triple for children and teens over the last
generation.
If kids especially continue to carry extreme excess body weight, fewer
will able to remain productive citizens because they may become
afflicted with serious diseases earlier in life, he warned.
"Obesity is the terror within," the Associated Press quoted Carmona as
saying during a visit to the University of South Carolina on Wednesday.
"Unless we do something about it the magnitude of the dilemma will dwarf
9-11 or any other terrorist attempt."
Adapting to U.S. culture
The fact that immigrants are a little younger on average -- the survey's
average age for the newly-arrived was 42.3 compared with 45.5 for
native-borns -- and that they're healthy when they arrive contributes to
their overall healthier status, said Barbara Kivimae Krimgold, director
of the scholars and fellows programs at the Center for the Advancement
of Health, a nonprofit, nonpartisan scientific think tank in Washington.
But their introduction to large portion sizes, easily accessible fast
food and a sedentary lifestyle may account for some of their slide into
poorer health, she said.
Acclimation to U.S. dietary, labor and commuting norms likely means
immigrants eventually have less time to cook at home, seek out the fresh
fruits and vegetables they may be used to and get enough exercise,
Krimgold said.
"It seems to be that those patterns erode over time," she said. "Some of
the reasons would include getting further integrated in the job market
and working more and more hours to try to get ahead, and having less
time and energy."
The protective effect many enjoy from moving in with large families
seems to dissipate the longer they stay, Krimgold said, noting more
study is needed. "Immigrants are probably more likely to be living
together as extended families when they come originally than is the case
over time."
Nearly three in four native-born adults had health insurance compared
with about half of immigrants. Among minorities born in the U.S., blacks
and Hispanics were mostly likely to be uninsured, with only 56% and 57%
respectively having coverage. On the opposite end of the spectrum, 85%
of Asians had private health insurance, the survey said.
Despite the disheartening suggestion that immigrants adapt to show the
same poorer health as the U.S.-born the longer they stay, Krimgold was
encouraged that health promotion messages such as eating more fruits,
vegetables and whole grains seem to be creating more awareness of the
obesity problem all Americans share.
"Being aware is a start to being willing to do something about it and
follow some advice," she said.
CDC: Health declines the longer immigrants stay
By Kristen Gerencher, Markethingych
Last Update: 2:20 PM ET Mar 3, 2006
SAN FRANCISCO (Markethingych) -- Call it a cruel twist to a foreigner's
dream of coming to America.
Despite having less access to care and health insurance coverage and
generally being less well off, newly arrived immigrants report having
significantly better physical and mental health than people who were
born in the United States.
But they typically get to enjoy such a benefit only if they return home
within a few years because their health tends to decline the longer they
stay, according to a study from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) released this week.
"In general, immigrant adults in the U.S. are healthier than their
U.S.-born counterparts," CDC Statistician Achintya Dey said. "The longer
they live in the U.S., the more their health resembles their U.S.-born
counterparts."
However, experience within the groups can vary widely. "The mechanism by
which acculturation affects health outcomes may not be the same for all
ethnic groups," Dey said, citing data that showed foreign-born,
newly-arrived whites had a higher prevalence of serious psychological
distress than white immigrants residing in the U.S. longer than five
years.
The health picture for U.S.-born adults was far from encouraging.
Native-born adults were more likely to smoke, have high blood pressure
and cardiovascular disease than those who did not have U.S. citizenship
at birth.
The U.S.-born were also nearly 50% more likely to be obese and spent an
average one and a half more days in bed because they were sick or
disabled compared with their immigrant counterparts.
Educational attainment varied by country of origin, but immigrants
overall were more likely to live in poor households, the survey said.
White immigrants were least likely to be living in poor households,
followed by Asian, black and Hispanic immigrants.
Still, immigrants typically have to be healthy and strong of mind and
body to be able to leave their country of origin and establish a new
life in the U.S., Dey said.
Obesity a major problem
More than half of immigrants to the U.S. today come from Latin America,
primarily from Central America, according to the study.
Of Hispanic immigrants living in the United States for at least five
years, 22% were obese, compared with 16% of Latino immigrants who've
resided here for less than five years, according to the CDC's sample
data from the National Health Interview Survey 1998-2003.
Those living in the U.S. longer also were more likely to have high blood
pressure -- 20% to 13% -- and cardiovascular diseases, though that ratio
was less significant at 5% versus 4%.
Health profile distinctions between newly-arrived and native-born
African Americans also were striking. Immigrant blacks rated their
health much more positively, were much less likely to have limited
functioning in the activities of daily living and had fewer bed
disability days than did native-born blacks, the survey said.
Rates of obesity and smoking were lower as well among the newly arrived.
A third of native-born black adults were obese compared with 19% of
their foreign-born counterparts.
Geography and local customs of where each group settled also may play a
role. Foreign-born blacks were more likely to live in the Northeast
while nearly six in 10 U.S.-born blacks lived in the South.
Asians, regardless of whether they were native or foreign-born, were
more likely to live in households where income was at least $75,000
compared with the other groups, the survey said.
But despite their income advantage, Asians weren't immune to the obesity
problem. U.S.-born Asians were twice as likely to be obese as their
immigrant counterparts -- 11% to 5%. White and Hispanic groups also saw
an obesity differential -- 21% to 14% for whites and 30% to 21% for
Hispanics.
This week, U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona elaborated on what's at
stake from having two-thirds of the overall population overweight and
seeing obesity rates triple for children and teens over the last
generation.
If kids especially continue to carry extreme excess body weight, fewer
will able to remain productive citizens because they may become
afflicted with serious diseases earlier in life, he warned.
"Obesity is the terror within," the Associated Press quoted Carmona as
saying during a visit to the University of South Carolina on Wednesday.
"Unless we do something about it the magnitude of the dilemma will dwarf
9-11 or any other terrorist attempt."
Adapting to U.S. culture
The fact that immigrants are a little younger on average -- the survey's
average age for the newly-arrived was 42.3 compared with 45.5 for
native-borns -- and that they're healthy when they arrive contributes to
their overall healthier status, said Barbara Kivimae Krimgold, director
of the scholars and fellows programs at the Center for the Advancement
of Health, a nonprofit, nonpartisan scientific think tank in Washington.
But their introduction to large portion sizes, easily accessible fast
food and a sedentary lifestyle may account for some of their slide into
poorer health, she said.
Acclimation to U.S. dietary, labor and commuting norms likely means
immigrants eventually have less time to cook at home, seek out the fresh
fruits and vegetables they may be used to and get enough exercise,
Krimgold said.
"It seems to be that those patterns erode over time," she said. "Some of
the reasons would include getting further integrated in the job market
and working more and more hours to try to get ahead, and having less
time and energy."
The protective effect many enjoy from moving in with large families
seems to dissipate the longer they stay, Krimgold said, noting more
study is needed. "Immigrants are probably more likely to be living
together as extended families when they come originally than is the case
over time."
Nearly three in four native-born adults had health insurance compared
with about half of immigrants. Among minorities born in the U.S., blacks
and Hispanics were mostly likely to be uninsured, with only 56% and 57%
respectively having coverage. On the opposite end of the spectrum, 85%
of Asians had private health insurance, the survey said.
Despite the disheartening suggestion that immigrants adapt to show the
same poorer health as the U.S.-born the longer they stay, Krimgold was
encouraged that health promotion messages such as eating more fruits,
vegetables and whole grains seem to be creating more awareness of the
obesity problem all Americans share.
"Being aware is a start to being willing to do something about it and
follow some advice," she said.