Beyond main effects: Age, education, and immigration history shape self-rated health among Latin Americans in Canada

Latin Americans represent one of the fastest growing populations in Canada, yet remain largely absent from national health research. Recent descriptive data suggest Latin Americans report higher SRH than the Canadian average, but little is known about how sociodemographic and migration-related factors shape these outcomes.

This study used pooled data from the 2015-2018 cycles of the Canadian Community Health Survey (N = 203,754) to examine SRH among Latin Americans (n = 1,799) compared with Whites (n = 168,225) and other racialized groups (n = 33,730). Logistic regression models assessed associations between ethnicity and fair/poor SRH, adjusting for sociodemographic, socioeconomic, and health-related covariates. Interaction terms tested whether associations varied by age, sex, education, income, and immigration history.

Across all models, Latin Americans did not differ significantly from Whites in odds of reporting fair/poor SRH (Model 4 OR = 0.88, 95% CI [0.65, 1.19]). However, significant interaction effects indicated that the association between ethnicity and SRH varied by age, education, and immigration history. Relative to Whites, older Latin Americans and those with primary education demonstrated higher odds of fair/poor SRH, whereas some more recent immigrant subgroups demonstrated comparatively lower odds.

Aggregate comparisons may obscure important heterogeneity in the association between ethnicity and SRH across sociodemographic and immigration-related subgroups. Findings highlight the importance of intersectional and disaggregated analyses in understanding health inequities among Latin Americans in Canada and underscore the need for culturally responsive policies that address structural and migration-related inequities.