Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
Volume 60, Issue 8, 2006, Pages 694-698

Health related quality of life in immigrants and native school aged adolescents in Spain (Article)

Pantzer K. , Rajmil L.* , Tebé C. , Codina F. , Serra-Sutton V. , Ferrer M. , Ravens-Sieberer U. , Simeoni M.-C. , Alonso J.
  • a Catalan Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Research, Barcelona, Spain
  • b Catalan Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Research, Recinte Pere Virgili, Edifici Mestral, Esteve Terradas, 30, 08023 Barcelona, Spain, Catalan Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Research, Barcelona, Spain
  • c Catalan Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Research, Barcelona, Spain
  • d Centre d'Atenció Primària de Lloret, Lloret, Spain
  • e Catalan Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Research, Barcelona, Spain
  • f Institut Municipal d'Investigació Mèdica, Barcelona, Spain
  • g Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
  • h Université de Marseille, Marseille, France
  • i Institut Municipal d'Investigació Mèdica, Barcelona, Spain

Abstract

Objectives: To compare health related quality of life (HRQL) between native and immigrant adolescents aged 12 to 18 years, and to analyse psychosocial factors associated with HRQL. Design: A cross sectional study of adolescents (12-18 years old) who answered a self administered questionnaire. Setting: All the secondary schools from Lloret de Mar (Girona, Spain). Participants: 1246 participants (88.9% of the eligible students). Main outcome measures: Main outcome was the Spanish version of the Vecu et Sante Percue de l'Adolescent (VSP-A), a HRQL measure addressed to adolescents. Mean scores of the VSP-A index of natives and immigrants were compared, as well as their sociodemographic and health related factors. Multiple regression examined the relation between HRQL and psychosocial factors, controlling for the effect of socioeconomic variables. Results: Half of the sample were boys, in the middle socioeconomic status, and 18.2% were immigrants (n = 226). HRQL score was higher in native Spanish adolescents than immigrants (p<0.01). Multiple regression model explaining 48.1% of the VSP-A variance showed that migration in itself has no statistically significant impact on HRQL, and age, socioeconomic status, social support, discrimination, and psychological distress do play a part. Conclusions: Migrants have worse HRQL than natives but it seems to be mediated by their disadvantage in socioeconomic status, social support, and psychological distress.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

immigrant Eurasia social psychology demography Europe indigenous people perceptive discrimination multiple regression human controlled study social aspect health status socioeconomic status social support Cross-Sectional Studies quality of life social status Humans Adolescent male Spain female Socioeconomic Factors questionnaire scoring system Article health care Southern Europe major clinical study adult Prejudice distress syndrome outcome assessment Students Transients and Migrants social class adolescent sexuality public health Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-33746343309&doi=10.1136%2fjech.2005.044073&partnerID=40&md5=59dd88ec62dc75ef758beaaa04ff4595
DOI: 10.1136/jech.2005.044073
ISSN: 0143005X
Cited by: 50
Original Language: English