Gaceta Sanitaria
Volume 31, Issue 5, 2017, Pages 390-395

Perceived discrimination and self-rated health in the immigrant population of the Basque Country, Spain [Discriminación y salud percibida en la población inmigrante del País Vasco (España)] (Article) (Open Access)

Rodríguez-Álvarez E.* , González-Rábago Y. , Borrell L.N. , Lanborena N.
  • a Department of Nursing I, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa (Bizkaia), Spain, Social Determinants of Health and Demographic Change - OPIK, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa (Bizkaia), Spain
  • b Social Determinants of Health and Demographic Change - OPIK, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa (Bizkaia), Spain, Department of Sociology 2, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa (Bizkaia), Spain
  • c Social Determinants of Health and Demographic Change - OPIK, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa (Bizkaia), Spain, Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, New York, NY, United States
  • d Department of Nursing I, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa (Bizkaia), Spain, Social Determinants of Health and Demographic Change - OPIK, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa (Bizkaia), Spain

Abstract

Objective To examine the effect of perceived discrimination and self-rated health among the immigrant population in the Basque Country, Spain, and determine whether this effect varies according to region of origin, age, sex and education. Methods Descriptive cross-sectional study. The study population included immigrants aged 18 and older residing in the Basque Country. Data from the 2014 Foreign Immigrant Population Survey (n = 3,456) were used. Log-binomial regression was used to quantify the association between perceived discrimination and self-rated health before and after checking for the selected characteristics. Results Almost 1 in 10 immigrant adults reports perceiving discrimination. In adjusted analyses, the immigrants perceiving discrimination were almost were 1.92 more likely to rate their health as poor (prevalence ratio: 1.92; 95% CI: 1.44–2.56) than those who did not report discrimination. This association did not vary according to region of origin, age, sex or educational level. Conclusions Perceived discrimination shows a consistent relationship with perceived health. Moreover, this association did not depend on the region of origin, age, sex or educational level of immigrants. These results show the need for implementing inclusive policies to eliminate individual and institutional discrimination and reduce health inequalities between the immigrant and native populations. © 2017

Author Keywords

discrimination Health survey immigrants Health status

Index Keywords

immigrant quantitative study human middle aged health status Humans Cross-Sectional Studies Young Adult cross-sectional study migrant Diagnostic Self Evaluation attitude Adolescent psychology male Emigrants and Immigrants self evaluation Spain female prevalence major clinical study adult health survey
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85013465926&doi=10.1016%2fj.gaceta.2016.12.014&partnerID=40&md5=e09a0c6e3c183348e5e51c14a802724b
DOI: 10.1016/j.gaceta.2016.12.014
ISSN: 02139111
Cited by: 6
Original Language: English; Spanish