title: Gender differences in immigrant health: the case of Mexican and Middle Eastern immigrants.
abstract: This article draws on theories of gender inequality and immigrant health to hypothesize differences among the largest immigrant population, Mexicans, and a lesser known population of Middle Easterners. Using data from the 2000-2007 National Health Interview Surveys, we compare health outcomes among immigrants to those among U.S.-born whites and assess gender differences within each group. We find an immigrant story and a gender story. Mexican and Middle Eastern immigrants are healthier than U.S.-born whites, and men report better health than women regardless of nativity or ethnicity. We identify utilization of health care as a primary mechanism that contributes to both patterns. Immigrants are less likely than U.S.-born whites to interact with the health care system, and women are more likely to do so than men. Thus, immigrant and gender health disparities may partly reflect knowledge of health status rather than actual health.
authors.affiliation: Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA. jennan.read@duke.edu
authors.forename: Jen'nan Ghazal
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Read
authors.forename: Megan M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Reynolds
mesh_terms: D000069:Acculturation; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006304:Health Status; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000208:ethnology; D008875:Middle Aged; D008877:Middle East / Q000208:ethnology; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D057566:Self Report; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult