title: Hispanic Baby Boomers: health inequities likely to persist in old age.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  As the Baby-Boom generation enters the ranks of the elderly adults over the next 4 decades, the United States will witness an unprecedented growth in racial/ethnic diversity among the older adult population. Hispanics will comprise 20% of the next generation of older adults, representing the largest minority population aged 65 years and older, with those of Mexican-origin comprising the majority of Hispanics. Little is known about the health status of this population. DATA/METHODS: Data are for Baby Boomers born between 1946 and 1964 (ages 43-61) in the 2007 California Health Interview Survey. Logistic regression estimates the odds of diabetes, hypertension, obesity, fair/poor self-rated health (SRH), and functional difficulties among U.S.-born non-Hispanic Whites (NHW), U.S.-born Mexicans, naturalized Mexican immigrants, and noncitizen Mexican immigrants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Mexican-origin populations are disadvantaged relative to NHW for all socioeconomic status (SES) and several health outcomes. The Mexican origin disadvantage in health attenuates when controlling for SES and demographics, but the disadvantage remains for diabetes, obesity, and fair/poor SRH.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Baby Boomers of Mexican origin do not share the advantages of health, income, and educational attainment enjoyed by U.S.-born NHW. As this cohort moves into old age, the cumulative disadvantage of existing disparities are likely to result in continued or worse health disparities. Reductions in federal entitlement programs for the elderly adults that delay eligibility, scale back programs and services, or increase costs to consumers may exacerbate those inequities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California–Los Angeles, USA. vvilla@ucla.edu
authors.forename: Valentine M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Villa
authors.forename: Steven P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.forename: Sofya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bagdasaryan
authors.forename: Maria P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Aranda
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006306:Health Surveys; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000208:ethnology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors