Coming to the United States can be bad for your health if you are a Mexican immigrant, according to a study released on Thursday and reported by Reuters. The joint Mexican-U.S. report found that most Mexican immigrants arrive in the United States in better health than the white American population but their health deteriorates the longer they stay, due partly to lack of insurance and the change in lifestyle. "It is unknown ... if worsening health status is a result of years of difficult labor and poverty, changing health behaviors like diet and smoking, or insufficient preventive medical care," the report said. Contrary to the widespread belief that immigrants place an undue burden on U.S. hospital emergency rooms, the study found that only 10 percent of recent immigrants from Mexico use emergency rooms, compared to 20 percent of U.S.-born whites. The study, carried out by the University of California and the Mexican government's National Population Council, is aimed at improving the health of migrants living in the United States. --more 2356 Local Time 2056 GMT
