title: Acculturation, Gender, and Active Life Expectancy in the Mexican-Origin Population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examines the potential effects of nativity and acculturation on active life expectancy (ALE) among Mexican-origin elders.
  
  
  METHODS
  We employ 17 years of data from the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly to calculate ALE at age 65 with and without disabilities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Native-born males and foreign-born females spend a larger fraction of their elderly years with activities of daily living (ADL) disability. Conversely, both foreign-born males and females spend a larger fraction of their remaining years with instrumental activities of daily life (IADL) disability than the native-born. In descriptive analysis, women with low acculturation report higher ADL and IADL disability. Men manifest similar patterns for IADLs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although foreign-born elders live slightly longer lives, they do so with more years spent in a disabled state. Given the rapid aging of the Mexican-origin population, the prevention and treatment of disabilities, particularly among the foreign born, should be a major public health priority.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas at Austin, USA mgarcia@prc.utexas.edu.
authors.forename: Marc A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.affiliation: University of Texas at Austin, USA.
authors.forename: Jacqueline L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Angel
authors.affiliation: University of Texas at Austin, USA.
authors.forename: Ronald J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Angel
authors.affiliation: Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chi-Tsun
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.affiliation: Flagler College, St. Augustine, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Melvin
mesh_terms: D000069:Acculturation; D000368:Aged; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008017:Life Expectancy / Q000208:ethnology*; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008800:Mexico / Q000208:ethnology; D017678:Sex Distribution
keywords: Hispanic health; Mexican elders; acculturation; active life expectancy; disability