The rising number of immigrants to the United States and other western countries has been accompanied by rising interest in the characterist ics of immigrants including their health and health care needs. Much of the research in the United States has focused on the so-called Hispanic Paradox or the favorable health of Hispanics despite lower average socioeconomic status as well as other risk factors, with recent research beginning to pay attention to dietary and genetic factors. Immigrants from other ethnic origins to the United States, as well as to Canada and Australia, enjoy a health advantage, the so called health immigrant effect, over native populations. In al l three countries there is evidence of a convergence of the health of immigrants to the health of the native born over approximately 10 to 20 years. There is also evidence that by the t ime they reach old age immigrants experience high rates of comorbidity and disabil ity. Immigrant health selection appears to be the chief reason explaining the immigrant health advantage. Immigrants to Europe also appear to be health selected but not as consistently as in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. Immigrant enclaves appear to confer health advantages in the United States among Hispanics but appear to have negative consequences in Europe. More attention needs to be given to the health and health care needs of the rising numbers of refugees to Europe as well as refugees in the Middle East, Africa, and elsewhere.

K y r i a k o s S . M a r k i d e s r e c e i v e d h i s P h . D . i n S o c i o l o g y i n 1 9 7 6 f r o mL o u i s i a n a S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y . H e i s c u r r e n t l y t h e A n n i e a n d J o h nG n i t z i n g e r D i s t i n g u i s h e d P r o f e s s o r o f A g i n g a n d P r o f e s s o r i n t h eD e p a r t m e n t o f P r e v e n t i v e M e d i c i n e a n d C o m m u n i t y H e a l t h a t t h eU n i v e r s i t y o f T e x a s M e d i c a l B r a n c h i n G a l v e s t o n . D r . M a r k i d e s i s t h eE d i t o r o f t h e J o u r n a l o f A g i n g a n d H e a l t h w h i c h h e f o u n d e d i n 1 9 8 9 .H e i s t h e a u t h o r o r c o - a u t h o r o f o v e r 3 7 0 p u b l i c a t i o n s m o s t o f w h i c ha r e o n a g i n g a n d h e a l t h i s s u e s i n t h e M e x i c a n A m e r i c a n p o p u l a t i o n a sw e l l a s m i n o r i t y a g i n g i s s u e s i n g e n e r a l . H i s r e s e a r c h h a s b e e n f u n d e dc o n t i n u o u s l y b y t h e N a t i o n a l I n s t i t u t e s o f H e a l t h s i n c e 1 9 8 0 . H e i sc u r r e n t l y P r i n c i p a l I n v e s t i g a t o r o f t h e H i s p a n i c E P E S E ( E s t a b l i s h e dP o p u l a t i o n f o r t h e E p i d e m i o l o g i c a l S t u d y o f t h e E l d e r l y ) , a l o n g i t u d i n a ls t u d y o f t h e h e a l t h o f o l d e r M e x i c a n A m e r i c a n s f r o m t h e f i v eS o u t h w e s t e r n s t a t e s . D r . M a r k i d e s i s c r e d i t e d w i t h c o i n i n g t h e t e r m‘ H i s p a n i c E p i d e m i o l o g i c a l P a r a d o x ’ ( w i t h J . C o r e i l ) w h i c h i s c u r r e n t l yt h e l e a d i n g t h e m e i n H i s p a n i c h e a l t h . T h e I n s t i t u t e f o r S c i e n t i f i cI n f o r m a t i o n ( I S I ) h a s l i s t e d D r . M a r k i d e s a m o n g t h e m o s t h i g h l y c i t e ds o c i a l s c i e n t i s t s i n t h e w o r l d . D r . M a r k i d e s i s t h e 2 0 0 6 r e c i p i e n t o f t h eD i s t i n g u i s h e d M e n t o r s h i p A w a r d o f t h e G e r o n t o l o g i c a l S o c i e t y o fA m e r i c a , a n d t h e 2 0 0 9 D i s t i n g u i s h e d P r o f e s s o r A w a r d i n G e r o n t o l o g ya n d G e r i a t r i c s f r o m U C L A . H e w a s a l s o t h e i n a u g u r a l r e c i p i e n t o f t h eP e a r m a i n P r i z e f o r o u t s t a n d i n g s e r v i c e t o t h e f i e l d o f a g i n g f r o m t h eR o y b a l I n s t i t u t e o n A g i n g a t t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f S o u t h e r n C a l i f o r n i a . T h ep r i z e w a s a w a r d e d i n F e b r u a r y , 2 0 1 0 . H e i s t h e 2 0 1 5 r e c i p i e n t o f t h eR o b e r t W . K l e e m e i e r A w a r d f r o m t h e G e r o n t o l o g i c a l S o c i e t y o f A m e r i c af o r h i s c o n t r i b u t i o n s t o r e s e a r c h o n a g i n g .

CHAIRED BY: PROF YEUNG WEI-JUN JEAN PROVOST'S CHAIR PROFESSOR OF SOCIOLOGY, DIRECTOR OF THE CENTRE FOR FAMILY AND POPULATION

RESEARCH, AND A RESEARCH LEADER IN THE ASIA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE

DATE: 21 AUG 18 | TIME: 12NN - 1.30PM | VENUE: AS7-06-42 - FASS RESEARCH DIVISION SEMINAR ROOM REFRESMENTS WILL BE SERVED! REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.

REGISTER AT: HTTPS://TINYURL.COM/YA9XHFGG

MIGRATION, AGING AND HEALTH IN WESTERN COUNTRIES

Prof Kyriakos S. Markides

Annie and John GnitzingerDistinguished Professor of Aging and

Professor in the Department ofPreventive Medicine and Community

Health at the University of TexasMedical Branch in Galveston