A closer examination of the data on migration status and health reveals that the association varies by the health outcome and population subgroup under consideration. For example, maternal mortality is higher for immigrants than for the native born across multiple populations.107 Similarly, women of all Hispanic groups have a higher risk of low birth weight and prematurity than whites.108 Unlike the pattern for other Latinos, recent Puerto Rican immigrants to the U.S. mainland have higher levels of chronic disease than island Puerto Ricans and, in contrast to the overall pattern for Asians, Chinese, Japanese and Filipino immigrants, have higher overall death rates than their native-born peers.103 In the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), virtually all immigrants reported better health than the native born for measures of physical health status, such as chronic physical conditions.109 In contrast, for psychological distress, many immigrant groups (most Latino groups, Pacific Islanders and Koreans) reported worse health than the native born, while other immigrants groups (black, Puerto Rican and Filipino) had better health and still others (Vietnamese, Japanese and Chinese) did not differ from their native born counterparts. Adjusting for socioeconomic status made these pattern more pronounced.
