Migration status and limiting long-standing illness: a longitudinal study of women of childbearing age in Sweden.

BACKGROUND

Despite a number of studies focusing on the health of immigrants, our knowledge of the risk of limiting long-standing illness (LLSI)) in migrant women of reproductive age is restricted.

METHODS

A simple random sample of 5037 Swedish-born and 629 foreign-born women (aged 20-41 at the first occasion) were interviewed over the periods 1983-1990 and 1991-1998. The risk of LLSI was estimated by applying logistic regression for correlated data.

RESULTS

First-generation labour-migrant women (OR=1.86) and refugee women (OR=1.75) had an increased risk of LLSI compared to Swedish-born women. The risk decreased only marginally (OR=1.64 and 1.48, respectively) after adjustment for marital status, socio-economic status, feelings of insecurity and the longitudinal effect of age. Women without employment, with a low attained level of education, without children, with feelings of insecurity or poor economic resources showed a high risk of LLSI. Similar results were observed when second-generation women were compared to Swedish-born women. However, immigrant women's health did not deteriorate more than that of Swedish-born women.

CONCLUSIONS

First- and second-generation immigrant women of reproductive age had an increased risk of LLSI, compared to their Swedish counterparts. Furthermore, immigrant women's health did not become proportionally worse than the health of Swedish women during the 8-year period.