Health Differentials between Male Migrants and Non-Migrants Residing in Mexico

Kimberly Wilson, University of Texas

New Mexican migrants to the U.S. are generally healthier than those who are long-term residents and Mexican-American citizens. The impact of migration on health relative to Mexicans who do not migrate is less understood. I use Mexican Migration Project data to compare chronic disease diagnoses and self-rated health of Mexican males who have U.S. migration experience (n=508) to those who do not (n=1,834) using bivariate analyses and multinomial logistic regression. Additionally, I analyze the relationship of documentation status to time spent in the U.S. and current health. Migrants report greater frequency of chronic disease than non-migrants. However, having migration experience is borderline significantly predictive of better self-rated health. Legal status is associated with spending a greater portion of time in the U.S., greater frequency of chronic disease diagnoses and worse self-rated health. Migration and documentation status influence health, highlighting the need for binational care coordination.