Health of Hispanics in the U.S.

RESEARCH SEMINAR SERIES Joint Seminar with the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies
Winter Quarter 2007

HEALTH OF HISPANICS IN THE U.S.: What We Can Learn from Looking at Mexico and the U.S. Combined?

REBECA WONG
Demographer, University of Maryland   

Wednesday, January 31, 3:30-5:30 p.m.
Institute of the Americas Complex
Deutz Room Copley Conference Center, Building 455
Reception to follow

One interesting puzzle in the United States over the last four decades has been that adult Hispanics present better health and lower mortality than non-Hispanic Whites. The “Hispanic Paradox” refers to the fact that the health of Hispanics is better than would be expected based on their socioeconomic status compared to non-Hispanic Whites. This holds particularly for those of Mexican origin or background. The work of Dr. Wong and her colleagues contributes to this area of research by studying health processes in the U.S. and Mexico combined. This allows for the examination of population selections as a possible explanation for the paradox, but more importantly, emphasizes that health in either country cannot be studied in isolation, without the other. Dr. Wong presents work that compares the health of adults in middle- and old-age in both countries using the Mexican Health and Aging Study, and two other studies in the U.S. These studies allow for comparisons among groups defined by migration history and country of birth. The findings show that health in certain groups is better than in the others depending on the health indicator used. Dr. Wong’s talk addresses the possible explanations for these findings as well as their implications for future research.

Rebeca Wong is a Mexican national who received a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Michigan in 1987, and is currently Associate Director of the Maryland Population Research Center, and Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Sociology at the University of Maryland. She was formerly in the faculty of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health Department of Population and Family Health Sciences, and the Georgetown University Department of Demography. Dr. Wong’s research agenda focuses on the economic consequences of population aging, in particular in Mexico and among immigrant Hispanics in the U.S. She has completed recent work on poverty and utilization of health services among the elderly, international migration and later old age wellbeing, and the impact of the social security reform in Mexico. She is currently co-Principal Investigator in the Mexican Health and Aging Study, financed by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health.
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These seminars are open to all members of the UCSD community, as well as faculty and students from other universities and the general public.  For directions to CCIS, visit our website   Parking permits can be purchased at the information booth on North Point Drive (north end of campus).  Visitors may also use metered parking spaces (max. 2 hours) in the North side parking lot.  Papers previously presented at CCIS seminars can also be downloaded from our website under “Working Papers.”  For further information, please contact Tatis Cervantes (E-mail: ttcervantes@ucsd.edu, Tel#: 858-822-4447).

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