Hispanic Health in the United States: Duration of Residence, Social Capital, and New Destinations

Hispanics are the fastest-growing racial/ethnic subgroup in the United States. Lower rates of educational attainment and higher rates of chronic disease are characteristics of the Hispanic population, yet on average Hispanics live longer than non-Hispanic Whites. The purpose of this research is to further examine features of the Hispanic paradox and capture different aspects of the Hispanic health experience in the United States. The following address different topics related to Hispanic health: Duration of Residence, Social Capital, and New Destinations. In the first chapter we found more evidence of a Hispanic mortality advantage, even among obese Hispanics. We also saw that among Hispanics, the improved mortality risk appears to attenuate the more time spent in the United States. For the second chapter, Hispanics seem to have lower levels of inflammation or stress response biomarkers compared to non-Hispanic Whites and non-Hispanic Blacks. Additionally, adolescent indicators of social capital appeared to not have a protective effect on inflammation levels. Lastly, counties with a larger Hispanic presence tended to have lower rates of obesity compared to those where Hispanics make up a lesser proportion of the population. Additionally, Hispanic new destination counties had lower rates of obesity compared to established Hispanic destination hubs.