The health of older immigrants in Canada

The “healthy immigrant effect” suggests that immigrants generally have better health than their peers born in Canada. There is substantial evidence for a healthy immigrant effect with respect to the mental and physical health of working aged adults (18-64 years old), but little on the healthy immigrant effect among older Canadians. Using the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, this research will explore the mental and physical health of midlife and older immigrants compared to those born in Canada. We will be able to determine whether chronic conditions are more prevalent among long-term as opposed to recent immigrants and to identify whether health status varies by ethnicity and gender. We will investigate whether nutrition and other health behaviors, socioeconomic status and social networks contribute to the healthy migrant effect.