Health Analysis Division at Statistics Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0T6.
Health Rep. 2011 Dec;22(4):15-23.
New immigrants to Canada initially report better health than does the Canadian-born population. With time, this "healthy immigrant effect" appears to diminish. Limited ability to speak English or French has been identified as a possible factor in poor health. This analysis explored the relationship between self-reported official language proficiency and transitions to poor self-reported health.
Statistics Canada's Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada tracked a sample of the 2001 immigrant cohort for four years (6, 24 and 48 months after arrival). Data from each of the three survey waves were available for 7,716 respondents. Bivariate and multivariate analysis were used to examine associations between official language proficiency and self-reported health, by sex, controlling for selected pre-migration and post-migration factors. The prevalence of poor health among immigrants was compared with rates among the Canadian-born population, based on data from the Canadian Community Health Survey.
Among a representative sample of recent immigrants, the prevalence of poor self-reported health had risen substantially, especially among women, after four years in Canada. Prolonged limited official language proficiency was strongly associated with a transition to poor health among male and female immigrants who had earlier reported good health. Other factors significantly associated with an increase in the prevalence of poor self-reported health differed by sex. Refugee status, self-reported discrimination, and living in Vancouver were significant for men. Age, health care access problems, and limited friendliness of neighbours were significant for women.
新移民抵达加拿大初期的健康状况好于加拿大出生的居民。随着时间的推移，这种“健康移民效应”似乎在减弱。语言能力有限被认为是健康状况不佳的一个可能因素。本分析探讨了自我报告的官方语言熟练程度与自我报告的健康状况不佳之间的关系。
加拿大统计局的加拿大移民纵向调查跟踪了 2001 年移民队列的一个样本，为期四年（到达后 6、24 和 48 个月）。来自三个调查波的数据可用于 7716 名受访者。使用双变量和多变量分析，控制了选定的移民前和移民后因素，按性别检查了官方语言熟练程度与自我报告的健康状况之间的关系。根据加拿大社区健康调查的数据，将移民的健康不良患病率与加拿大出生人口的比率进行了比较。
在最近移民的代表性样本中，四年后，加拿大女性的自我报告健康不良的患病率大幅上升，尤其是女性。长期语言能力有限与那些早期报告健康状况良好的男性和女性移民健康状况不佳的转变密切相关。其他与自我报告的健康不良患病率增加显著相关的因素因性别而异。男性的难民身份、自我报告的歧视以及居住在温哥华与健康不良显著相关。女性的年龄、获得医疗保健的机会问题以及邻居的友好程度有限是显著相关的。
