Introduction
Despite having worse healthcare access and other social disadvantages, immigrants
have, on average, better health outcomes than U.S.-born individuals. For Latino immigrants,
this is known as the Latino health paradox. It is unknown whether this phenomenon
applies to undocumented immigrants.
Methods
This study used restricted California Health Interview Survey data from 2015 to 2020.
Data were analyzed to test the relationships between citizenship/documentation status
and physical and mental health among Latinos and U.S.-born Whites. Analyses were stratified
by sex (male/female) and length of U.S. residence (<15 years/>= 15 years).
Results
Undocumented Latino immigrants had lower predicted probabilities of reporting any
health condition, asthma, and serious psychological distress and had a higher probability
of overweight/obesity than U.S.-born Whites. Despite having a higher probability of
overweight/obesity, undocumented Latino immigrants did not have probabilities of reporting
diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease different from those of U.S.-born
Whites after adjusting for having a usual source of care. Undocumented Latina women
had a lower predicted probability of reporting any health condition and a higher predicted
probability of overweight/obesity than U.S.-born White women. Undocumented Latino
men had a lower predicted probability of reporting serious psychological distress
than U.S.-born White men. There were no differences in outcomes when comparing shorter-
with longer-duration undocumented Latino immigrants.
Conclusions
This study observed that the Latino health paradox may express patterns for undocumented
Latino immigrants that are different from those for other Latino immigrant groups,
emphasizing the importance of accounting for documentation status when conducting
research on this population.
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Publication history
Published online: March 07, 2023
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© 2023 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
