Date of Conferral

8-6-2026

Date of Award

August 2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Health Sciences

Advisor

Hadi Danawi

Abstract

The healthy immigrant effect (HIE) is an observed phenomenon in which immigrants exhibit better health outcomes than native-born residents, though relatively few studies have examined its role in chronic diseases in the United States. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to assess the associations between immigration status, age, sex, race/ethnicity, median household income, and geographic location and lung cancer diagnosis in first-generation immigrant adults aged 18 or older. The subsequent health trajectory model provided the theoretical framework for the study. Data were obtained from the SEER*Stat Database 1975-2022 (N = 1,993). Binomial regression analysis showed that immigrants were approximately 1.66 times more likely to have lung cancer than non-immigrants in a univariate model (OR = 1.66, 95% CI [1.10, 2.48], p < .05). However, this association was not statistically significant after adjusting for all other variables (p = .394). In the multivariable model, age (OR25-34 = 6.67, 95% CI [1.16, 27.62], p < .05; OR35-44 = 3.33, 95% CI [1.73, 6.39], p < .001; OR45-54 = 2.18, 95% CI [1.55, 3.07], p < .001) and race/ethnicity (ORHispanic = 2.61, 95% CI [1.84, 3.71], p < .001) were significant predictors of lung cancer diagnosis. These findings suggest that immigration status alone is insufficient to guide cancer screening and prevention strategies without accounting for demographic risk factors. Study limitations included the cross-sectional design, the small proportion of immigrants in the sample, and the absence of behavioral variables such as smoking history. The results may inform future research and promote positive social change by supporting improved lung cancer screening and prevention efforts targeting diverse populations, including immigrant communities.

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