Background: This article examines risk factor and health differences between Antillean migrants in the Netherlands and Antillean and Dutch non-migrants, and relates these findings to four commonly used explanations for migrant health disparities. Methods: Nationally representative data from the 2012 Dutch Public Health Monitor and the 2013 National Health Survey Curaçao was used. The weighted rates were calculated and significance assessed using the χ2 test. Logistic regression analyses were used to compare health behaviours and outcomes between Antillean migrants and the non-migrant populations. Results: Overall, Antillean migrants had poorer physical and mental health than Antillean and Dutch nonmigrants. For overweight/obesity and tobacco and alcohol use, Antillean migrants had rates in-between those of the Antillean and Dutch non-migrants. The poor health of Antillean migrants persisted in the second generation, who were born in the Netherlands. Conclusions: Patterns of differences in physical and mental health among the study populations were suggestive of a 'stressful environment' effect. The poorer health of Antillean migrants may be partly determined by host-country-specific stressors, such as perceived discrimination, spatial concentration in multi-ethnic neighbourhoods and reduced social mobility. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. All rights reserved.

minority health Cross-sectional studies Netherlands Health behaviour Health status disparities

Netherlands Netherlands Antilles patient monitoring Dutchman tobacco use Antillean alcohol consumption health survey health disparity Health Status Disparities mental health human Health Behavior middle aged statistics and numerical data obesity priority journal comparative study Aged Health Surveys ethnology Young Adult Humans migrant psychology male female Aged, 80 and over very elderly risk factor Risk Factors Article health care adult migration Transients and Migrants Child