The Fading of Protective Roots: A Multivariate Analysis of the Risk of Hypertension among Hispanics by Nativity

Abstract

Objective To examine the effects of Hispanic nativity on the risk and severity of hypertension relative to US-born non-Hispanic whites. Methods The analytic sample ( n = 34,007) was comprised of cross-sectional data drawn from twenty years of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999–2018. Results Foreign-born Hispanics aged 65 years and older had a greater risk of severe hypertension compared to non-Hispanic Whites. When examined by length of residency in the US, elderly foreign-born Hispanics with less than 10 years of residency were at greater risk of hypertension and severe hypertension, while those with 20 or more years of residency had similar risks compared to non-Hispanic Whites. Conclusion The “Hispanic Paradox” of better health despite lower socioeconomic status, was not observed in foreign-born or US-born Hispanics aged 65 years and older. Among elderly immigrants, those with fewer years of residency had the greatest hypertensive risk.