title: Mortality among US-born and immigrant Hispanics in the US: effects of nativity, duration of residence, and age at immigration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined the effects of duration of residence and age at immigration on mortality among US-born and foreign-born Hispanics aged 25 and older.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed the National Health Interview Survey-National Death Index linked files from 1997-2009 with mortality follow-up through 2011. We used Cox proportional hazard models to examine the effects of duration of US residence and age at immigration on mortality for US-born and foreign-born Hispanics, controlling for various demographic, socioeconomic and health factors. Age at immigration included 4 age groups: <18, 18-24, 25-34, and 35+ years. Duration of residence was 0-15 and >15 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed a mortality advantage among Hispanic immigrants compared to US-born Hispanics only for those who had come to the US after age 24 regardless of how long they had lived in the US. Hispanics who immigrated as youths (<18) did not differ from US-born Hispanics on mortality despite duration of residence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings suggest that age at immigration, rather than duration of residence, drives differences in mortality between Hispanic immigrants and the US-born Hispanic population.
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, 3311 Toledo Road, Room 6126, Hyattsville, MD, 20782, USA, JSHolmes@cdc.gov.
authors.forename: Julia S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.forename: Anne K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Driscoll
authors.forename: Melonie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heron
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000208:ethnology; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000208:ethnology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000208:ethnology; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult