The Effects of Minority and Immigration Status on Elderly Health: A Community Social Capital Perspective

Abstract

Health disparity across ethnic and immigrant groups are well recognized. However, there is a lack of systematic understanding about health disparity among older adults particularly given the growing number and size of minority and/or immigrant elders in the United States. The chapter relies on published studies, relevant monographs, government reports and Census data; it explores possible ways in which minority and immigration status jointly or independently affects elderly health. The chapter then introduces the community social capital as a theoretical framework to understand elderly health disparity. In essence, it argues the magnitude of structural racism in the life of minority and immigrant older adults; and it discusses the role that community social capital might play to moderate the negative effects of social-economic disparity, community segregation, social discrimination, and other factors contributable to health outcomes.KeywordsSocial CapitalHealth DisparityImmigrant GroupImmigration StatusResidential SegregationThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.