Nativity differences in chronic health conditions between nationally representative samples of Asian American, Latino American, and Afro-Caribbean American respondents.

Immigrants on average have better health than native-born residents. However, no clear understanding of prevalence of chronic conditions across foreign-born groups exists, and few studies include Afro-Caribbean populations. This study utilizes the National Latino and Asian American Study and the National Survey of American Life to investigate nativity differences in reports of chronic cardiovascular, respiratory, and pain conditions between foreign-born (n = 3,579) and native-born (n = 1,409) respondents. Native-born respondents were significantly more likely than foreign-born counterparts to report chronic respiratory [c2(1, n = 4,958) 30.78, P ≤ .05] and pain [c2(1, n = 4,958) 3.77, P ≤ .05] conditions. Logistic regression models reveal significant associations between chronic conditions and other demographic factors known to influence immigrant health. Afro-Caribbean populations were less likely than other foreign-born respondents to report respiratory and pain conditions. Findings illustrate the importance of comparing health profiles across native-born and foreign-born counterparts with the inclusion of Afro-Caribbean Americans.