Elderly Mexican Americans and Education.

One of the key components of the SES is level of education. While many elderly are not in school or undergoing any new training, many still find themselves part of the work force. The level of their education often determines the type of work that MA need to do into their senior years as a means of support. In 1998 it was estimated that 29.4 % of Hispanics of the ages 65 and over had a high school diploma or higher as compared to their white counterparts who had a high school diploma or higher 71.6 % of the time. (Lindeman) The study also showed that Hispanics held a Bachelor’s degree or higher 5.4 % of the time while their White counterparts had a Bachelor’s degree or higher 14.8 % of the time or almost three times as often as Hispanics. (Lindeman) With numbers like these it would not be a surprise to find that MA are part of a demographic that end up in low paying menial jobs. With low pay, many Hispanics find themselves living well below the poverty line. In a survey done in 1999 it was found that 20.4 % of Hispanics 65 years of age and over lived below the poverty compared to 7.4 % for White seniors. (Current Population Survey) Undoubtedly, finances will effect seniors access to healthcare should they not be able to afford insurance in the first place, or pay for medication. As was found by the National Health Interview Survey, health disparities by income level become less pronounced as more people over the age of 50 form all economic backgrounds report worst health. (Today’s Research on Aging) While this may be the case, the question may also be raised if the lifestyles of different groups effect the way they age particularly in their senior years. For example, would a MA age different if they had an office job instead of a manual labor job? If so, would they age better or worse?

Works Cited

Current Population Survey, March 2000, PGP-4

Lindeman, Mouton, Talamantes, Health and Health Care of HISPANIC/LATINO AMERICAN ELDERS. Retrieved Jan 28, 2012, from http://www.stanford.edu/group/ethnoger/hispaniclatino.html

Today’s Research on Aging. Population Reference Bureau, (2008), 11, 1-4. Retrieved from www.prb.org.

Percentage of Mexican American Senior Citizens.

The idea of SES (Socio Economic Status) contains three key concepts (occupational status, income, and education) that are used to help determine the social ranking of a single person, or a group of individuals that share common characteristics such as race or culture (Today’s Research on Aging). In this and future blogs, the focus will be on Mexican American (MA) elderly and how their SES effects their health. While there are many other groups of people I could have focused on, I have chosen to study the MA because they are part of one of the fastest growing segments of the population; Hispanics. In a count conducted by the Census Bureau in 1990 the number of individuals of Hispanic heritage accounted for 3.7% of the population that was over the age of 65 (Bureau of the Census). This number is expected to increase to 15.5% by 2050  (Bureau of the Census). Of this growing number of Hispanics, 61% are of Mexican origin (10 Health Status of Hispanic Elderly). With such a large number of individuals it is imperative that any disparities experienced by this group of individuals due to a lack of socioeconomic resources be addressed. However, the pinpointing of any disparities may be difficult since many people of all income levels report overall bad health since they are at such an advanced age (Today’s Research on Aging). While this may be the case it should not stop further inquiry. There are still many variables that effect how an aging person’s health is affected due to their SES. These may include but are not limited to the key concepts mentioned above.

Work Cited

Bureau of the Census

National Research Council. "10 Health Status of Hispanic Elderly." Racial and Ethnic Differences in the Health of Older Americans. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 1997. 1. Print.

Today’s Research on Aging. Population Reference Bureau, (2008), 11, 1-4. Retrieved from www.prb.org.