Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly: Selected longitudinal findings

The aim of this report is to present key findings from the Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiological Studies of the Elderly. This unique study began in 1993-1994 with 3050 Mexican-Americans aged 65 years or older who lived in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Texas (USA). The subsequent four waves of data collection span 11 years and interviews will be conducted again in the Spring of 2007. Although this population has been observed to have lower than expected mortality rates, they continue to suffer from chronic health problems and disability to the same extent as other racial and ethnic groups. In addition, they are at higher risk for inappropriate medication use and inadequate health insurance coverage. The implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.