Hispanics live longer than non-Hispanic Whites or Blacks, despite the fact that they are less educated and have lower incomes. This phenomenon is called the Hispanic Paradox. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, Hispanic life expectancy at birth was 81.4 years in 2011 versus 78.8 years for non-Hispanic Whites and 75.3 years for Blacks.
An investigation into the Hispanic Paradox reveals an even bigger mystery. By comparing the life expectancy of foreign-born and U.S.-born Hispanics, a study in Demography shows foreign-born Hispanics to have the advantage while U.S.-born Hispanics have about the same life expectancy as Whites. "Why is this foreign-born Hispanic mortality advantage erased for U.S.-born Hispanics?" ask the researchers. "Negative acculturation may deteriorate the positive health behaviors among Hispanic immigrants over time and across generations," they conclude.
Source: Demography, "Hispanic Older Adult Mortality in the United States: New Estimates and an Assessment of Factors Shaping the Hispanic Paradox" ($39.95)
1 comment:
because they ate fewer trans-fats ?
Seems that hispanic (middle-aged-male-) coronary mortality
just started later and is still rising, while US-born-coronary
mortality is already declining since decades.
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