Silventoinen Karri, Hammar Niklas, Hedlund Ebba, Koskenvuo Markku, Rönnemaa Tapani, Kaprio Jaakko
Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Eur J Public Health. 2008 Apr;18(2):150-5. doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckm052. Epub 2007 Jun 14.
Immigrants is an important minority in many countries, but little is known how they are self-selected. We analysed differences in psycho-social and health behavioural factors between international migrants and non-migrants prior to migration in a large cohort of Finnish twins.
A questionnaire was sent to Finnish twins in 1975 (response rate 89%, N = 26555 twin individuals). Follow-up data on migration and mortality were derived from population registries in Finland and Sweden up to 31 March 2002. In 1998, another questionnaire was sent to Finnish twins migrated to Sweden and their co-twins (response rate 71%, N = 1534 twin individuals). The data were analysed using Cox and conditional logistic regression models.
Life dissatisfaction, higher alcohol use and smoking at baseline predicted future migration. In men additionally, unemployment, neuroticism and extroversion increased the probability to migrate. Similar associations were found for alcohol use in men and smoking in men and women within twin pairs discordant for migration. Twins also reported retrospectively that prior to migration the migrated twin had been less satisfied with his/her educational institution or job and was generally less satisfied with life, used more alcohol (men) and smoked more (women) than the co-twin stayed in Finland.
Migrants are self-selected by health behavioural and personality factors, which may compromise their health. The special requirements of migrants should be recognized in health care.
移民在许多国家都是重要的少数群体，但对于他们如何进行自我选择却知之甚少。我们在一大群芬兰双胞胎中分析了国际移民与非移民在移民前心理社会和健康行为因素方面的差异。
1975年向芬兰双胞胎发放了一份问卷（回复率89%，N = 26555对双胞胎个体）。截至2002年3月31日，关于移民和死亡率的随访数据来自芬兰和瑞典的人口登记处。1998年，又向移民到瑞典的芬兰双胞胎及其双胞胎同胞发放了一份问卷（回复率71%，N = 1534对双胞胎个体）。使用Cox模型和条件逻辑回归模型对数据进行分析。
基线时生活不满意、较高的酒精摄入量和吸烟可预测未来的移民情况。此外，对于男性而言，失业、神经质和外向性增加了移民的可能性。在移民情况不一致的双胞胎对中，男性的酒精使用以及男性和女性的吸烟情况也发现了类似的关联。双胞胎还回顾性报告称，在移民前，移民的双胞胎对其教育机构或工作的满意度较低，总体生活满意度也较低，比留在芬兰的双胞胎同胞饮酒更多（男性）、吸烟更多（女性）。
移民是由健康行为和人格因素自我选择出来的，这可能会损害他们的健康。在医疗保健中应认识到移民的特殊需求。
