Specialized Demography Examination on Immigration and Health
Spring 2011
Instructions: Please answer one question from each set of two below (3 total answers).
You have 4 hours to complete this exam. Best of luck!
Set One
1.
Discuss highlights of research on immigrant health. Compare research populations, methods, and data. Are research findings on immigrant health related to particular immigrant categories (age, gender, national origin, etc.)?
2.
What are the implications of immigration theories for a theory of immigrant health? What has been proposed or implied?
Set Two
3.
What is meant by the concept of “acculturation” in the immigrant health literature? Provide some research examples that seem to demonstrate how acculturation is impacting the health of U.S. immigrants. Further, discuss whether or not acculturation could have positive, as well as negative, influences on immigrant health.
4.
What is “paradoxical” with regard to the epidemiologic (or Hispanic) paradox?
In answering this question, you should first briefly define the epidemiologic paradox and provide examples from recent research that claim to demonstrate such a paradox. Then, your answer should discuss the reasons why Hispanic health patterns are paradoxical, with reference to processes of international migration that are thought to at least partially explain the paradox.
Set Three
5.
Do U.S. immigrant groups demonstrate socioeconomic gradients in health outcomes? In answering this question, you should describe recent research that examines socioeconomic health gradients among U.S. immigrant groups. If the gradients are different for immigrant groups compared to U.S.-born population groups, why is that the case?
6.
President Obama just called you on the phone and asked for your opinion on the following question, “Do immigrants exhibit an overall positive or negative effect on the health and mortality profile of the U.S. population?” He wants you to have a clear answer back to him within one hour. What would your answer be? Support your opinion with research findings from recent literature.