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10 Health Status of Hispanic Elderly
Pages 285-300

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From page 285...
... is of Mexican origin and resides primarily in the southwestern states of California, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico; they are followed by Puerto Ricans (12.1%) , who live mainly in Puerto Rico and the New York City area, and by Cuban Americans (4.8%)
From page 286...
... Less than 5 percent of Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans are in the elderly age group, whereas 17 percent of Cuban Americans are elderly (Bureau of the Census, 1990~. The limited gerontological research on older Hispanics has tended to focus on the importance of the strength of family ties and how these might be changing with greater industrialization, urbanization, and the acculturation of younger generations into the larger society (Angel and Hogan, 1991; Bastida, 1984; Lacayo, 1992; Markides and Martin, 1983; Paz, 1993; Sotomayor and Garcia, 1993~.
From page 287...
... Only Asian Americans experienced more favorable mortality conditions at the older ages (see National Center for Health Statistics, 1994~. A recent analysis of the National Longitudinal Mortality Study has added further evidence of a favorable mortality and health situation for Hispanics.
From page 288...
... Puerto Ricans have the highest death rate from cirrhosis of the liver, and the populations of both Puerto Rican and Mexican origin have higher death rates from diabetes than do Cuban Americans. The mortality profile of Cuban Americans by cause of death is generally similar to that of the non-Hispanic white population (Rosenwaike, 1991~.
From page 289...
... For example, recently analyzed data from the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (Hispanic HANES) found that acculturation was positively related to the presence of hypertension in Mexican Americans aged 55 to 74, suggesting that the prevalence of hypertension may very well increase as the population becomes more acculturated into the larger society (Espino and Maldonado, l990~.
From page 290...
... show that smoking rates among Puerto Ricans in the Northeast have increased substantially in recent years and may very well translate into higher rates of heart disease and smoking-related cancers. These data show high smoking rates among males in all three major Hispanic populations (Mexican Americans, mainland Puerto Ricans, and Cuban Americans)
From page 291...
... (1990) shows that among Hispanics, Mexican Americans of both genders have a higher prevalence of gallstone disease than do Puerto Ricans or Cuban Americans.
From page 292...
... Older Puerto Ricans and Mexican Americans tend to report greater difficulty in performing instrumental activities of daily TABLE 10-1 Percentage of Persons 65 and Older Reporting Difficulty Performing Selected Activities of Daily Living by Ethnicity Mexican Activities of Daily Whites Nonwhites Americans Living (N = 24,753)
From page 293...
... Self-assessments are the result of complex subjective processes that are influenced by culture and temperament, as well as by actual health status (Angel and Guarnaccia, 1989; Angel and Thoits, 1987~. Data from the Hispanic HANES corroborate other data showing that among Hispanics, Puerto Ricans rate their health as poorest and Cuban Americans rate their health as best, with Mexican Americans somewhere in between (Angel and Angel, 1992; Angel and Guarnaccia, 1989~.
From page 294...
... A different pattern has been observed among Puerto Ricans, who have been found to have higher rates of depression in New York than in Puerto Rico, and who also have higher rates than Mexican Americans, African Americans, and non-Hispanic whites. These patterns, along with relatively low rates among Cuban Americans in Miami, remain unexplained.
From page 295...
... Hispanic families may view the nursing home as a last resort; this is borne out by recent data from San Antonio suggesting that Hispanic nursing home residents are significantly more functionally impaired and have higher rates of mental impairment than Anglo residents (Chiodo et al., 1994; Espino and Burge, 1989~. Although elderly Hispanics may not underutilize physician services, there is evidence that they may delay seeking treatment for certain symptoms or conditions.
From page 296...
... Mexican-Amencan and Puerto Rican elderly have a great deal in common by virtue of their lower socioeconomic status, whereas Cuban Americans are closer to the general population in socioeconomic status and prevalence of most conditions. All three groups share a common language.
From page 297...
... MARKIDES ET AL. 297 1994 Aging and generational patterns of alcohol consumption among Mexican Americans, Cuban Americans, and mainland Puerto Ricans.
From page 298...
... Eifler 1988 Effects of acculturation and socioeconomic status on obesity and diabetes in Mexican Americans. American Journal of Epidemiology 128: 1289-1301.
From page 299...
... Locke 1987 The Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey: Depression among Mexican Americans, Cuban Americans and Puerto Ricans.
From page 300...
... Rosenthal 1987 Secular decline in death rates due to ischemic heart disease in Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic whites in Texas, 1970-1980. Circulation 76(6)


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