Kushang V. Patel
Evaluation of Mortality Data for Older Mexican Americans: Implications for the Hispanic Paradox
authors evaluated underascertainment bias hispanic mortality rates population surveys linked us national death index ndi compared vital status 7 years ascertained ndi search active followup 2886 mexicanamerican subjects aged 65 years baseline 19931994 hispanic established populations epidemiologic studies elderly epese estimates ndi underascertainment applied mortality rate ratios 66667 older mexican americans nonhispanic whites 19861994 national health interview surveys linked ndi ndi active followup agreed vital status 912 hispanic epese subjects ndi identify 177 deaths 207 reported proxies underascertainment greater women stratified age nativity ratios proxyreported ndi mortality rates 131 95 confidence interval ci 106 162 immigrant men 165 95 ci 132 208 immigrant women adjustment national health interview surveysndi agestandardized mortality rate ratios comparing mexican americans nonhispanic whites 077 95 ci 065 092 men 092 95 ci 077 109 women 084 118 respectively adjustment underascertainment findings suggest ndibased hispanic mortality rates may understated