Psychology

Asthma is a significant health problem among Hispanic communities.  Despite the increase however, Mexican American children have lower asthma prevalence rates as compared to the non-Hispanic children in the United States.  This is more rampant to those that have low education levels that usually lack some health insurances.

Lifestyle and health behavior appear to be very important in the health of a person.  Low acculturation level and the use of native languages led the Hispanic communities to lower mortality rates and better health as compared to any other ethnic groups.  Hispanic paradox does exist despite controversy.  Certain lifestyles and health behaviors of the Hispanic community led to lower mortality rates despite depression, life stress, and less health insurances.  Biological advantages were rampant among the Hispanic communities.

One current remarkable issue in relation to life-span development revolves around acculturation and its effects on asthma burden among Hispanic communities.  According to Molly Martin, Madeleine Shalowitz, Tod Mijanovich, Elizabeth Clark-Kauffman, Elizabeth Perez, and Carolyn Berry (2007) in their article entitled The Effects of Acculturation on Asthma Burden in a Community Sample of Mexican American Schoolchildren, Asthma prevalence and mortality rates are increasing among Mexican American children (p. 1290).  This makes asthma a significant health problem among Hispanic communities.  Despite the increase however, Mexican American children have lower asthma prevalence rates as compared to the non-Hispanic children in the United States.  This is more rampant to those that have low education levels that usually lack some health insurances.  Because many of the Mexican American people are immigrants who have been born in Mexico, it gives the notion that acculturation has some effects on asthma burden among Mexican American children by reflecting low acculturation levels and higher biological benefits.

Main Body
Asthma burden
In the study that Molly Martin et al (2007) conducted, they studied Mexican American schoolchildren and their effects of acculturation against asthma.  They used variables in studying the children, and gathered data from an observational study, such as the childrens diagnosed asthma and the total diagnosed plus possible asthma.  They used regression models directed for the caregivers level of acculturation, education, marital status, depression, life stress, and childrens insurances (Martin et al., 2007, p. 1290).  In the end they concluded that the level of acculturation of caregivers was mediated by social factors, especially in relation to life stress (Martin et al., 2007, p. 1290).  In addition, foreign birth was more predictive of disease status than was language use or years in country (Martin et al., 2007, p.1290).  It appears that increased acculturation among Mexican American schoolchildren do not generally lead to greater asthma risk, giving the notion that low acculturation among healthy immigrants reflect biological advantages, which can be related to health behaviors and life-span development.

Acculturation
Martin et al. (2007) defined the term acculturation as a process of culture learning and behavioral adaptation that takes place when individuals are exposed to a new culture (p. 1290).  It is a process wherein individuals undergo changes in their language use, cognitive style, personality, identity, attitude, and stress level (Martin et al., 2007, p.1290).  However, studies show that
Low acculturation levels among US Hispanics with low socioeconomic status have been linked to lower infant mortality rates, better immunization status, higher life expectancy, lower mortality from cardiovascular disease and cancer, and less cigarette smoking and drug use. (Martin et al, 2007, p.1290)

Because Mexican American immigrants reflect lower diagnosed asthma rates when compared to those born in the United States, it concludes that there is greater risk of diagnosed asthma to those born in the United States, as opposed to those born in Mexico.  They also found that caregivers usually had less diagnosed asthma, especially those who preferred to use their native language instead of the English language.  This reflects Hispanic paradox, indicating that there are better relative health outcomes to the newly migrated Mexican Americans, as compared to other ethnic groups in an equal environment.

Controversy behind Hispanic paradox
Eileen Crimmins, Jung Ki Kim, Dawn Alley, Arun Karlamangla, and Teresa Seeman (2007) has concluded that Hispanics in the United States have better or similar health to that of non-Hispanic Whites, despite Hispanics having lower incomes and less education (p. 1305).  The Hispanics have comparatively lower mortality rates, which reflect the Hispanic paradox.  Empirical findings that support the existence of this paradox were seen in low mortality rates, especially among aged men who were immigrants in the United States.  However, there are also studies that show that there are no difference in mortality between Hispanics and Whites (Crimmins et al., 2007, p. 1305), claiming that there is no truth behind the Hispanic paradox, and ethnic differences show fewer clear-cut concerning function, disability, and morbidity (Crimmins et al., 2007, p. 1305).  There are even studies that show Hispanics report worse health than Whites (Crimmins et al., 2007, p. 1305), indicating that the term Hispanic paradox is merely a lie.

Because there are more studies in the area of life-span development (Kuznia, 2009, p. 1), it is an indication that the controversy has enhanced the study of life-span development, and more people support the idea that Hispanics are indeed healthier when compared to the Blacks and the Whites.  As indicated in the article, Hispanics, despite their socio-economic hurdles, on average live longer than blacks by seven years, and whites by five years (Kuznia, 2009, p. 1).  This is according to Dr. David Hayes-Bautista, a professor of medicine at UCLA.  The controversy has enhanced the study of life-span development.

Conclusion
Lifestyle and health behaviors appear to be very important in the health stage of a person.  Low acculturation level and the use of native languages have led the Hispanic communities to lower mortality rates and better health as compared to any other ethnic groups who have migrated to the United States.  Hispanic paradox does exist, and certain lifestyles and health behaviors of the Hispanic community led to lower mortality rates despite higher levels of depression, life stress, and less health insurances.  The Hispanic culture reflects some biological advantages (e.g., breastfeeding) related to life-span development.