The impact of diabetes on adult employment and earnings of Mexican Americans: findings from a community based study.
Epidemiological studies indicate that minority populations in the US - including African Americans, Native Americans and Mexican Americans - are particularly at risk for diabetes and that their complications are more frequent and severe. Using microdata from a 1994-1999 population based study of middle aged and older Mexican Americans in the Southwest, this study analyzes the impact of diabetes on the employment and earnings outcomes of adults 45 years of age and older. The empirical results from estimating maximum likelihood employment and earnings models suggest that diabetes leads to lower productivity and earnings for women but has no statistically significant impact on their employment probability. In the case of men, however, diabetes leads to a lower employment propensity but has no effect on earnings. Thus, the problems associated with this condition could lead to potential future financial difficulties particularly for high-risk populations in their later years.
Bastida
Elena
E
Department of Sociology and Center on Aging and Health, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas-Pan American, Edinburg 78539, USA.
Pagán
José A
JA
D000368:Aged; D017281:Cost of Illness; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000191:economics* / Q000208:ethnology*; D004526:Efficiency; D004651:Employment / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005191:Family Characteristics / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007449:Investments / Q000191:economics; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D011203:Poverty / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D015206:Southwestern United States / Q000453:epidemiology