Race/ethnicity, nativity, and US adult mortality

Objective. This paper investigates how race/ethnicity is associated with th e mortality risks of U.S. adults, while considering the influence of nativi ty. Methods. Data come from the National Health Interview Survey/National D eath Index linked data set. We use discrete-time hazards models to estimate the association between race/ethnicity, nativity, and mortality. Results. Native-born blacks exhibit the highest odds of death among all age groups o f adults, while foreign-born blacks and Asian Americans display especially low odds of death, particularly among older adults. Mexican Americans and o ther Hispanics display intermediate risks of mortality similar to non-Hispa nic whites. Race/ethnic differences in mortality are influenced by nativity , with the groups having the highest percentages of foreign-born individual s experiencing lower mortality risks than might otherwise be the case. Fore ign-born persons also exhibit lower mortality than native-born persons acro ss nearly all age groups, with the magnitude of the advantage varying by ra ce/ethnicity. Conclusions. Race/ethnic adult mortality differentials are wi de and are influenced by nativity, social factors, and health behaviors. Be cause foreign-born individuals, compared to their native-born counterparts, often exhibit differential health behavior patterns and health outcomes, r esearchers and policymakers must be aware of immigrant composition and in h ow the compositional mix affects mortality for racial/ethnic groups and for the whole population.