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Karl Eschbach, PhD, Glenn V. Ostir, PhD, Kushang V. Patel, MPH, Kyriakos S. Markides, PhD and James S. Goodwin, MD

Karl Eschbach, Glenn V. Ostir, and James S. Goodwin are with the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston. Kushang V. Patel and Kyriakos S. Markides are with the Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Karl Eschbach, University of Texas Medical Branch, Department of Internal Medicine—Geriatrics, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555-0460 (e-mail: kaeschba{at}utmb.edu).

Objectives. We examined whether Mexican Americans living in high-density Mexican American neighborhoods experience increased morbidity and mortality compared with the rates observed among Mexican Americans living in low-density areas.

Methods. We conducted a prospective analysis of a cohort of 3050 Mexican Americans aged 65 years or older. We examined prevalence of 6 medical conditions and survival over 7 years of follow-up in relation to percentage of Mexican Americans in the census tract.

Results. With adjustment for covariates, odds for disease prevalence among older Mexican Americans as a function of percentage of Mexican Americans in the census tract were 0.33 (95% confidence interval [CI]=0.16, 0.71) for stroke, 0.28 (95% CI= 0.11, 0.70) for cancer, and 0.31 (95% CI=0.10, 0.98) for hip fracture. The hazard ratio for all-cause mortality over 7 years’ follow-up was 0.64 (95% CI=0.42, 0.96).

Conclusions. Sociocultural advantages conferred on Mexican Americans by living in high-density Mexican American neighborhoods outweigh the disadvantages conferred by the high poverty of those neighborhoods.

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