Immigration, Ethnicity and Cancer in U.S. Women

Abstract

This study examines differences in the prevalence of various forms of cancer among American women identified by both ethnicity and immigrant status. Our focus is on four types of cancer – breast, cervical, ovarian, and uterine – that afflict adult working-age women. We analyse the extent to which the prevalence of these cancers among immigrants changes with years in the United States, after controlling for age and socio- economic influences. The paper also examines the extent to which use of preventative health screening and/or lifestyle behaviors might help to explain any observed differences. Data are drawn from the U.S. National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) over the period 1998 to 2005. We find significant evidence of differences in cancer occurrence among immigrants by ethnicity that change with years spent in the USA, as well as pronounced differences by race. The results confirm that the healthy immigrant effect is present in terms of the prevalence of certain forms of cancer in comparison with both US born whites and with US born ethnic minority groups. The result appears not to be due to differences in health behaviors or in the utilization of general health services.cancer, immigrants, ethnic minorities, women's health