Full Citation
Title: Dating the Origins of the Epidemiologic Paradox among Mexican Americans
Citation Type: Working Paper
Publication Year: 1998
ISBN:
ISSN:
DOI:
NSFID:
PMCID:
PMID:
Abstract: This paper describes the history of the epidemiologic paradox, the surprising finding that in many circumstances Mexican American infants, children, and adults have lower mortality than one would expect given their social, economic, and demographic situation. In particular, they have mortality equal to or lower than comparable non-Hispanic whites, and lower than that of comparable African Americans. The epidemiologic paradox was first revealed by Teller and Clyburn (1974), writing about the mid-1960s. Later research by Forbes and Forbes (1991) showed that in San Antonio and for some parts of the population (especially neonatal infant mortality rates) the paradox has existed since at least 1940. This paper uses four data sources that cover most of the twentieth century to further examine the history of the paradox. Two of those sources -- a sample of census records from 1910 and the linked birth and death certificate file for 1990 -- show the United states at the beginning and end of the century. The two other sources are drawn from death certificates for San Antonio for 1909-11, and for 1935-85. The national sources show that most, but not all, Hispanics had lower child mortality in the early twentieth century than Blacks, but not child mortality that was lower than non-Hispanic whites. The San Antonio data nuance that story to show that Hispanics did not have lower infant mortality overall than Blacks until the 1955-64 decade, and did not have lower infant mortality overall thannon-Hispanic whites until the 1965-74 decade. The conclusion to the paper discusses local political and social conditions in San Antonio in the 1920s and 1930s that led to improved public health resources being dedicated to the African American population, which led to the reduction in the infant death rates.
User Submitted?: No
Authors: Gutmann, Myron P.; Blanchard, K.Stephen; DeTurk, Peter
Series Title:
Publication Number: 97-98-07
Institution:
Pages:
Publisher Location:
Data Collections: IPUMS USA
Topics: Health, Other, Race and Ethnicity
Countries: