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Self-Rated Health and Race Among Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Adults

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Abstract

Objective To investigate the association between race and self-rated health among Hispanics and non-Hispanics using data from the National Health Interview Survey 2000–2003. Methods This analysis was limited to Hispanic and non-Hispanic whites and blacks ≥18 years of age. The outcome was self-rated health. The main independent variable was race/ethnicity, and potential confounders included sociodemographic characteristics, access to care, health behaviors, and comorbidities. Results Non-Hispanic blacks exhibited the highest prevalence of fair/poor self-rated health compared to their white counterparts. In the adjusted analyses, compared to non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks (OR: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.16–1.43), Hispanic whites (OR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.14–1.52) and blacks (OR: 2.19; 95% CI: 1.07–4.49) were more likely to rate their health as fair/poor. There was no difference in self-rated health between Hispanic and non-Hispanic blacks. Discussion This study underscores the importance of accounting for the racial heterogeneity among Hispanics when presenting health data. Ignoring race could mask health variations among Hispanics.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (LNB), the Robert Wood Johnson Health and Society Scholars Program (LNB) and the Kellogg Program in Health Disparities (FJD).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA

    Luisa N. Borrell

  2. School of Public Health, University of Texas, Dallas Regional Campus, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA

    Florence J. Dallo

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  1. Luisa N. Borrell
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  2. Florence J. Dallo
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Correspondence to Luisa N. Borrell.

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Borrell, L.N., Dallo, F.J. Self-Rated Health and Race Among Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Adults. J Immigrant Minority Health 10, 229–238 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-007-9074-6

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