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Mortality Paradox of Older Italian-Born Men in Australia: The Concord Health and Ageing in Men Project

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Abstract

Italian migrants are one of the largest groups of older migrants in Australia. Past research has found lower mortality rates in Italian migrants but it is unclear if this persists into older age. Data came from 334 Italian-born and 849 Australian-born men aged 70 years and over participating in a longitudinal study of men’s ageing. Male Italian migrants were more likely to smoke, be overweight, and have lower socio-economic status (SES). They also had higher morbidity from diabetes, chronic pain, dementia and depressive symptoms but lower morbidity from heart disease and cancer. There was no age-adjusted mortality difference. However, adjusting for SES, lifestyle and morbidity differences revealed a 25% lower mortality rate (adjusted HR = 0.75; 95% CI 0.57, 0.98) in Italian-born men. Compared to their Australian-born counterparts, older Italian-born men have a lower mortality than expected considering their lower SES, higher smoking and higher morbidity.

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Funding

This work was supported by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC Project Grant No. 301916) and the Ageing and Alzheimer’s Research Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sydney School of Public Health, Sydney University, Edward Ford Building, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia

    Fiona F. Stanaway & Robert G. Cumming

  2. Concord Clinical School, Concord Hospital, Concord, NSW, 2139, Australia

    Fiona M. Blyth

  3. Centre for Education and Research on Ageing, The Ageing and Alzheimers Institute, Concord Hospital and Sydney University, Concord, NSW, 2139, Australia

    Vasi Naganathan, David G. Le Couteur, Rosilene Ribeiro, Louise M. Waite & Robert G. Cumming

  4. School of Life and Environmental Science, Charles Perkins Centre, Sydney University, Camperdown, 2006, NSW, Australia

    Rosilene Ribeiro, Vasant Hirani & Markus J. Seibel

  5. ANZAC Research Institute, Concord Hospital, Sydney University, Concord, 2139, NSW, Australia

    David J. Handelsman

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  1. Fiona F. Stanaway
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Correspondence to Fiona F. Stanaway.

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Stanaway, F.F., Blyth, F.M., Naganathan, V. et al. Mortality Paradox of Older Italian-Born Men in Australia: The Concord Health and Ageing in Men Project. J Immigrant Minority Health 22, 102–109 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-019-00874-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-019-00874-w

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