European Journal of Public Health
Volume 27, 2017, Pages 40-46
Self-rated health and wellbeing among the workingage immigrant population in Western Europe: Findings from the European social survey (2014) special module on the social determinants of health (Review) (Open Access)
La Parra-Casado D.* ,
Stornes P. ,
Solheim E.F.
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a
Department of Sociology II, Alicante University, Alacant, Spain
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b
Department of Sociology and Political Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
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c
Department of Sociology and Political Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
Abstract
Background: The aim is to study the difference in self-rated health and wellbeing between native non-migrants and different immigrant groups: new (defined as having lived in the host country for 10 years or less), old (living in the host country for more than 10 years) and second-generation immigrants living in Western European countries. Methods: We use the European Social Survey Round 7, collected in 2014/15, to study the working-age population aged 20-64. We separate between first (new and old) and second-generation immigrants. Self-rated health was dichotomised as very good and good versus less than good health. Wellbeing was measured by constructing a continuous scale from eight 4-point Likert scale items (CES-D8). Data for 14 Western European countries were pooled together (N= 18 577). Men and women were analyzed separately using binary logistic and OLS regression. Results: For self-rated health, we found support among both men and women for the healthy migrant hypothesis. Among men only, second-generation immigrants had more deteriorating self-rated health by age, and old immigrants were similar to the natives. The four groups differed in wellbeing only among those with primary education, and more so among men than among women. Second-generation immigrants were worse and new immigrants better than natives and old immigrants. Conclusion: This study supports the healthy migrant hypothesis among both men and women. Among men, old and second-generation immigrants' predicted health falls more steeply by age. There was some variation between migrant groups in wellbeing among those with low education. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.
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Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85033452055&doi=10.1093%2feurpub%2fckw221&partnerID=40&md5=e132f63e7511793d506c98dfd52dfd9a
DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckw221
ISSN: 11011262
Cited by: 11
Original Language: English