Does the “Healthy Immigrant Effect” Extend to Cognitive Aging?

Sex Differences in Health and Survival

“…Previous research has indicated that some migrant groups are healtheir and live longer than the host country population, the so called "healthy migrant effect" (Razum and Twardella 2002;Hedlund et al 2008;Hill et al 2012). It has been suggested that the health advantages of immigrants diminish at older ages and among the second generation (Sundquist and Winkleby 1999;De Maio 2010); and that these advantages vary substantially by cause of death, country of birth/origin (Stirbu et al 2006;Wild et al 2007;Boulogne et al 2012), and the health measure used (Sundquist and Johansson 1997;Pudaric et al 2003;Llacer et al 2007;Nielsen and Krasnik 2010).…”

Immigrant status and cognitive functioning in late-life: An examination of gender variations in the healthy immigrant effect

“…Although previous studies have made significant contributions, additional research is needed to explore connections between immigrant status and understudied outcomes like cognitive functioning (Hill et al, 2012). While some studies suggest that the healthy immigrant effect may extend to indicators of cognitive functioning, including orientation, attention, memory, language, and reasoning (Kopec et al, 2001; Hill et al, 2012), other reports show no apparent immigrant advantage (Collins et al, 2009; Haan et al, 2011; Miranda et al, 2009; Nguyen et al, 2002; Sachs-Ericsson et al, 2009; Sheffield & Peek, 2009).…”

“…While some studies suggest that the healthy immigrant effect may extend to indicators of cognitive functioning, including orientation, attention, memory, language, and reasoning (Kopec et al, 2001; Hill et al, 2012), other reports show no apparent immigrant advantage (Collins et al, 2009; Haan et al, 2011; Miranda et al, 2009; Nguyen et al, 2002; Sachs-Ericsson et al, 2009; Sheffield & Peek, 2009). To date, researchers have also neglected to consider whether gender might moderate the association between immigrant status and cognitive functioning (Hill et al, 2012). This omission is important because women and men tend to migrate for different reasons and experience migration in unique ways (Curran, 2006; Donato, 2010; Suarez-Orozco & Qin, 2006).…”

“…Finally, Hill and colleagues (Hill et al, 2012) used six waves of H-EPESE data to assess variations in cognitive functioning trajectories by nativity status and age at migration. They reported that the baseline cognitive status and cognitive functioning trajectories of early- (before age 20) and late-life (50 and older) immigrants are similar to those of the U.S.-born.…”

“…Hill et al also found that those who migrated in middle-life (between the ages of 20 and 49) tended to exhibit higher levels of baseline cognitive functioning and slower rates of cognitive decline than the U.S.-born. Hill and colleagues (Hill et al, 2012) speculate that these cognitive advantages reflect immigrant growth processes that are generated by the unique cognitive demands of migration in middle-life. We explore this idea in greater detail and in the context of gender variations in our final discussion section.…”