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The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences Advance Access originally published online on March 30, 2009
The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 2009 64B(3):390-401; doi:10.1093/geronb/gbn029
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© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org.

Subjective Control and Health Among Mexican-Origin Elders in Mexico and the United States: Structural Considerations in Comparative Research

Ronald J. Angel1, Jacqueline L. Angel1,2 and Terrence D. Hill3

1 Population Research Center, University of Texas at Austin
2 LBJ School of Public Affairs, Center for Health and Social Policy, University of Texas at Austin
3 Department of Sociology, University of Miami, Coral Gables Florida

Address correspondence to Ronald J. Angel, 320 Burdine Hall, Department of Sociology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712. Email: rangel{at}austin.utexas.edu


  Abstract

Objectives: This study examines the joint impact of psychological and structural factors on Mexican and Mexican American elders' sense of personal control over important aspects of their lives and health in Mexico and the United States.

Methods: We employ the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS) and the Hispanic Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (H-EPESE) to explore patterns of association among structural factors, personal characteristics, indicators of material and physical vulnerability, and expressed locus of control.

Results: The results suggest that an older individual's sense of personal control over important aspects of his or her life, including health, reflects real material and social resources in addition to individual predispositions. In Mexico, only the most privileged segment of the population has health insurance, and coverage increases one's sense of personal control. In the United States, on the other hand, Medicare guarantees basic coverage to the vast majority of Mexican Americans over 65, reducing its impact on one's sense of control.

Discussion: Psychological characteristics affect older individuals' sense of personal control over aspects of their health, but the effects are mediated by the economic and health services context in which they are expressed.

Key Words: Mexico • Mexican American • Locus of control • Health • Poverty • Health Systems

Received May 16, 2008; Accepted November 7, 2008

Decision Editor: Kenneth F. Ferraro, PhD


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