BMC Public Health
Volume 14, Issue 1, 2014

Health related quality of life of immigrant children: Towards a new pattern in Germany? (Article) (Open Access)

Villalonga-Olives E.* , Von Steinbüchel N. , Witte C. , Kasten E. , Kawachi I. , Kiese-Himmel C.
  • a Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center, Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02215, United States
  • b Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center, Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany
  • c Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center, Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany
  • d Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center, Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany
  • e Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02215, United States
  • f Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center, Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany

Abstract

Background: To study Health related quality of life (HRQoL) of a sample of kindergarten children with migration background.Methods. Five kindergartens in Frankfurt/Main and Darmstadt (Germany) participated. HRQoL was measured with the Kiddy-KINDL (KK) in 3 to 5 year old children. We examined the associations of HRQoL with socio-demographic variables, positive development and resilience, socio-emotional and motor development. Linear regression models were applied to examine differences in HRQoL between migrant and native-born German children.Results: The response rate was 90.5% (N = 283). The children had predominantly migrant background (81.35%). Perceived health was slightly higher in migrants (69.85, SD 17.00) compared to native-born German children (68.33, SD 17.31, p > 0.05), even though migrant children were characterized by a lower socio-economic status (p < 0.01).Conclusions: Results suggest that HRQoL at early ages in our study exhibits a different pattern than reported previously in studies among older individuals. We attribute the discrepancy partly to a possible changing pattern of migration in Europe with more migrants capable to migrate with healthy profiles, and to the age of our population. Our findings underscore the need to study the life course trajectory of HRQoL among young immigrants and replication in representative samples. © 2014Villalonga-Olives et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Author Keywords

Kindergarten children Migrants Migrant health paradox Health related quality of life Life course

Index Keywords

Germany regression analysis human epidemiology trends Schools Ethnic Groups ethnic group quality of life School Health Services migrant Humans school health service male Emigrants and Immigrants preschool child Socioeconomic Factors female Child, Preschool socioeconomics school
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84908554036&doi=10.1186%2f1471-2458-14-790&partnerID=40&md5=63515060c7e6295cb6594257d163d233
DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-14-790
ISSN: 14712458
Cited by: 7
Original Language: English