Daily HealthBeat Tip - August 27, 2007

Born in the U.S.A.

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Researchers say Mexican immigrants to the United States might be healthier in some respects than Mexican-Americans born here. The researchers say U-S-born Mexican-Americans are more likely to have conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Ellen Crimmins of the University of Southern California looked at national health survey data. Her study in the American Journal of Public Health was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Crimmins says the trek to the United States might deter Mexicans who are less healthy. But she says the differences she found are linked to lifestyle:

``Those who are raised in Mexico are less likely to drink, less likely to smoke, and less likely to be obese. People who are raised in the United States are more likely to do all of those things.’’ (10 seconds)

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: August, 27 2007