The health status and health trajectories of older immigrants in Canada

The “healthy immigrant effect” (HIE) suggests that immigrants have better health than their Canadian-born peers. There is substantial evidence for an HIE with respect to the mental and physical health of working-aged adults (18-64), but little on the HIE among older Canadians. Using the CLSA Baseline and Follow-up 1 data, this research will explore the mental, physical and cognitive health of immigrants compared to those born in Canada. We will be able to determine whether chronic conditions and healthy behaviors 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, socio-economic status and social networks contribute to the HIE. This project will build on our previously approved CLSA project no. 170605 to compare trajectories of health between Baseline and Follow-up 1 by immigrant status.