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Comparing Racial and Immigrant Health Status and Health Care Access in Later Life in Canada and the United States

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 August 2010

Steven G. Prus ,
Rania Tfaily  and
Zhiqiu Lin
Steven G. Prus*
Affiliation:
Carleton University
Rania Tfaily
Affiliation:
Carleton University
Zhiqiu Lin
Affiliation:
Carleton University
*
*Correspondence and requests for offprints should be sent to / La correspondance et les demandes de tirés-à-part doivent être adressées à: Steven G. Prus, Ph.D., Department of Sociology Carleton University, D795 LA, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6 Canada ([email protected])
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Abstract

Little comparative research exists on health experiences and conditions of minority groups in Canada and the United States, despite both countries having a racially diverse population with a significant proportion of immigrants. This article explores race and immigrant disparities in health and health care access across the two countries. The study focus was on middle and old age given the change and increasing diversity in health and health care policy, such as Medicare. Logistic regression analysis of data from the 2002–2003 Joint Canada/United States Survey of Health shows that the joint effect of race and nativity on health outcomes – health differences between native and foreign-born Whites and non-Whites – is largely insignificant in Canada but considerable in the U.S. Non-White native and foreign-born Americans within both 45-to-64 and 65-and-over age groups experience significant disadvantage in health status and access to care, irrespective of health insurance coverage, demographic, socio-economic, and lifestyle factors.

Résumé

Il y a peu de recherche comparative en existence sur les expériences de la santé et les conditions de groupes minoritaires au Canada et aux États-Unis, malgré le fait que les deux pays ont des populations racialement diverses avec une proportion significative des immigrants. Cet article explore les disparités raciales et immigrantes en santé et soins d’accès entre les deux pays. L’étude portait sur l’âge mûr et la vieillesse, compte tenu du changement et de la diversité croissante dans la politique de santé et les soins de santé, tel que Medicare. L’analyse de régression logistique des données de l’Enquête de la santé Canada/États-Unis 2002–2003 montre que l’effet conjoint de la race et de la nativité de santé – différences en santé entre indigènes blancs et étrangers blancs et non-blancs est en grande partie négligeable au Canada, mais considérable aux États-Unis. Americains indigènes non-blancs et américains nés à l’étranger au sein des groupes d’âge 45-à-64 et 65-et-plus expériencent une désavantage significative dans l’état de santé et aussi de l’accès aux soins, indépendamment de la couverture d’assurance-maladie et des facteurs démographiques, socio-économiques et de la mode de vie.

Keywords

santéobésitésoins de santéraceimmigrantCanadaÉtats-Unishealthobesityhealth careraceimmigrantCanadaUnited States
Type
Special SEDAP Section: Canada’s Vulnerable Older Populations / Section spéciale SEDAP: Les Populations âgées vulnérables du Canada: Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 29 , Issue 3 , September 2010 , pp. 383 - 395
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2010

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