(Un)Healthy immigrant citizens: naturalization and activity limitations in older age.
This research argues that immigrants' political, social, and economic incorporation experiences, which are embedded in individual life course trajectories and heavily influenced by governmental policies, play an important role in producing diverse health outcomes among older U.S. foreign-born persons. Using data from the 2008-2010 American Community Survey and 1998-2010 Integrated Health Interview Series, we demonstrate how naturalization, a key indicator of social and political inclusion, is related to functional health in midlife and older age. Consistent with the theoretical framework, we find that among those foreign-born who immigrated as children and young adults, naturalized citizens show better health at older ages compared with noncitizens, although this relationship is partly mediated by education. But among those older foreign-born who immigrated at middle and older ages, naturalized citizens report worse health compared with noncitizens. Moreover, this negative health selection into naturalization becomes stronger for those naturalizing after the 1996 Welfare Reform Act.
['Gubernskaya|Zoya|Z|', 'Bean|Frank D|FD|', 'Van Hook|Jennifer|J|']
D000203:Activities of Daily Living D000293:Adolescent D000328:Adult D000367:Age Factors D000368:Aged D000375:Aging D002648:Child D002675:Child, Preschool D002908:Chronic Disease D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants D004641:Emigration and Immigration D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand D006299:Health Services for the Aged D054624:Health Status Disparities D006305:Health Status Indicators D006801:Humans D007223:Infant D007407:Interviews as Topic D016015:Logistic Models D008875:Middle Aged D011640:Public Policy D014481:United States D055815:Young Adult
naturalization activity limitations aging American Community Survey (ACS) Integrated Health Interview Series (IHIS) functional limitations immigrant health paradox older immigrants selection mechanisms