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Estimating the Demand for Long-Term Care Among Aging Mexican Americans: Cultural Preferences Versus Economic Realities

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Aging, Health, and Longevity in the Mexican-Origin Population

Abstract

Objective: This study investigates the impact of socioeconomic resources and cultural preferences determining living arrangements among Mexican-origin elders.

Methods: The analyses are based on the first and sixth waves of the H-EPESE, a study of 3,050 individuals aged 65 and older who were initially interviewed in 1993/94. 1,296 survivors, 578 of whom were unmarried, were re-contacted in 2006. Multinomial logistic regressions estimated the relative contribution of nativity and socioeconomic factors on preferences in care arrangements in the event of poor health at wave one on actual living arrangements at the sixth follow up.

Results: The data revealed 1993 preferences predict 2006 community-based living arrangements but do not predict nursing home residence. Unmarried native-born Mexican-origin individuals were far more likely than the foreign-born to overestimate nursing home use.

Conclusion: The findings raise policy-relevant questions concerning the consequences of changes in family size, female labor force participation, and cultural norms on sources of care for elderly Hispanics.

This study was supported by funding from NIH/National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (Grant # 1R01MD005894-01).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Angelica P. Herrera

  2. The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA

    Jacqueline L. Angel, Carlos Díaz Venegas & Ronald J. Angel

Authors
  1. Angelica P. Herrera
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  2. Jacqueline L. Angel
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  3. Carlos Díaz Venegas
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  4. Ronald J. Angel
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Angelica P. Herrera .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Sociology, University of Texas, Austin, University Station 1, Austin, 78712, Texas, USA

    Jacqueline L. Angel

  2. , Center for Policy Research on Aging, University of California, Los Angeles, Public Affairs Building 5341, Los Angeles, 90095, California, USA

    Fernando Torres-Gil

  3. University of Texas Medical Branch at Ga, Rte. 1153 1.128 Ewin, Galveston, 77555, Texas, USA

    Kyriakos Markides

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Herrera, A.P., Angel, J.L., Venegas, C.D., Angel, R.J. (2012). Estimating the Demand for Long-Term Care Among Aging Mexican Americans: Cultural Preferences Versus Economic Realities. In: Angel, J., Torres-Gil, F., Markides, K. (eds) Aging, Health, and Longevity in the Mexican-Origin Population. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1867-2_19

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