This study aims to analyze the differences in the use of primary care (PC), hospital, and emergency services between people born in Spain and immigrants. Data were obtained from the 2006 Spanish National Health Survey. The sample was composed of individuals aged 16–64 years from Spain and the seven countries with most immigrants in Spain (n = 22,224). Hierarchical multiple logistic regression models were fitted. Romanian men were less likely to use health care at all levels compared to men from other countries. Women from Argentina, Bolivia and Ecuador reported a lower use of PC. Among women, there were no differences in emergency visits or hospitalizations between countries. Bolivian men reported more hospitalizations than Spanish men, whereas Argentinean men reported more emergency visits than their Spanish counterparts. In Spain, most immigrants made less than, or about the same use of health care services as the native Spanish population. © 2015, Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Health care disparities immigrants Socio-economic factors Spain Gender

human sex difference middle aged Ethnic Groups statistics and numerical data health service ethnic group comparative study health status Aged Logistic Models Health Surveys Cross-Sectional Studies Young Adult cross-sectional study migrant Humans Adolescent male Emigrants and Immigrants Spain female Socioeconomic Factors Multivariate Analysis socioeconomics health services Emergency Medical Services adult emergency health service age Sex Factors Age Factors utilization statistical model Healthcare Disparities health care disparity primary health care health survey