Beschreibung:
<jats:p> 10567 </jats:p><jats:p> Background: Asian Americans are the fastest-growing immigrant group in the U.S. As the oldest immigrant group on average, they are at heightened risk for cancer and other diseases. This study explored whether the risk is mitigated by the healthy immigrant effect (HIE), an epidemiological phenomenon that has been well documented among Latino immigrants. Evidence of a healthy immigrant effect among Asians as a whole or in specific Asian subgroups is limited, and almost none focus on the elderly with a cancer diagnosis. This original research study examines the evidence for an HIE in a large ethnically diverse sample of elderly persons with a cancer diagnosis. Methods: This is a retrospective observational study utilizing data collected across 14 regions of the U.S. SEER-Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (SEER-MHOS), a linked dataset sponsored by the NCI and the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine HIE among Asians in the aggregate and subgroups of Asians for smoking and body mass index (BMI), using survey language and ethnic concentration as proxies for nativity. Results: Asians, in the aggregate, had comparable social backgrounds and had better health behaviors (i.e., lower smoking and BMI) than non-Hispanic Whites. When Asians were disaggregated, Hawaiians and Japanese had higher smoking and obesity rates than Chinese. A protective effect was observed among Asians in the aggregate living in an ethnic enclave with lower smoking prevalence and lower BMI. Chinese respondents opting to complete surveys in their native language or living in ethnic enclaves were less likely to be overweight, but no significant associations were found in relation to their smoking. Conclusions: Support for a healthy immigrant effect was largely consistent for Asians in the aggregate with respect to both language and ethnic concentration, but support was mixed among subgroups of Chinese patients. The presence of the HIE suggests that the health status and needs of recent Asian immigrants seeking oncologic care may be different than Asians who have been in the U.S. longer. These findings suggest a need for community-based efforts to encourage preservation of a healthier living style observed among first-generation immigrants. </jats:p>