Rask S, Sainio P, Castaneda A E, Härkänen T, Stenholm S, Koponen P, Koskinen S
National Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 30, FI-00271, Helsinki, Finland.
Deparment of Public Health, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
BMC Public Health. 2016 Apr 18;16:340. doi: 10.1186/s12889-016-2993-1.
Many ethnic minority populations have poorer health than the general population. However, there is limited knowledge on the possible ethnic gap in physical mobility. We aim to examine the prevalence of mobility limitations in working-age Russian, Somali and Kurdish origin migrants in comparison to the general population in Finland. We also determine whether the association between ethnic group and mobility limitation remains after taking into account socio-economic and health-related factors.
We used data from the Finnish Migrant Health and Wellbeing Study (Maamu) and the Finnish Health 2011 Survey. The participants comprised 1880 persons aged 29-64 years. The age-adjusted prevalence of difficulties in various mobility tasks was calculated using predictive margins. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between socio-economic, health- and migration-related factors and mobility limitation (self-reported difficulty in walking 500 m or stair climbing). The association between ethnic group and mobility limitation was calculated using logistic regression analysis.
Mobility limitations were much more prevalent among Somali origin women (46 %) and Kurdish origin men (32 %) and women (57 %) compared to men and women in the general Finnish population (5-12 %). In Russian origin men and women, the prevalence of mobility limitation (7-17 %) was similar to the general Finnish population. Socio-economic and health-related factors, but not migration-related factors (time lived in Finland and language proficiency in Finnish or Swedish), were found to be associated with mobility limitation in the studied populations. Somali and Kurdish origin migrants were found to have increased odds for mobility limitation compared to the general Finnish population, even after adjusting for socio-economic and health-related factors (Somalis odds ratio [OR] 3.61; 95 % confidence interval [CI] 2.07-6.29, Kurds OR 7.40; 95 % CI 4.65-11.77).
This study demonstrates a functional disadvantage in Somali and Kurdish origin populations compared to the general Finnish population, even after adjusting for socio-economic and health-related factors. The high prevalence of mobility limitation among Somali origin women and Kurdish origin men and women in Finland demonstrates an acute need to promote the health and functioning of these populations.
许多少数民族群体的健康状况比普通人群更差。然而，关于身体活动能力方面可能存在的种族差异的了解有限。我们旨在研究与芬兰普通人群相比，处于工作年龄的俄罗斯、索马里和库尔德裔移民中活动受限的患病率。我们还将确定在考虑社会经济和健康相关因素后，种族与活动受限之间的关联是否仍然存在。
我们使用了芬兰移民健康与福祉研究（Maamu）和2011年芬兰健康调查的数据。参与者包括1880名年龄在29至64岁之间的人。使用预测边际计算各种活动任务困难的年龄调整患病率。逻辑回归分析用于研究社会经济、健康和移民相关因素与活动受限（自我报告行走500米或爬楼梯困难）之间的关联。使用逻辑回归分析计算种族与活动受限之间的关联。
与芬兰普通人群中的男性和女性（5%-12%）相比，索马里裔女性（46%）、库尔德裔男性（32%）和女性（57%）中活动受限更为普遍。在俄罗斯裔男性和女性中，活动受限的患病率（7%-17%）与芬兰普通人群相似。研究发现，社会经济和健康相关因素而非移民相关因素（在芬兰居住的时间以及芬兰语或瑞典语的语言能力）与研究人群中的活动受限有关。即使在调整了社会经济和健康相关因素后，索马里和库尔德裔移民与芬兰普通人群相比，活动受限的几率仍有所增加（索马里人优势比[OR]3.61；95%置信区间[CI]2.07-6.29，库尔德人OR 7.40；95%CI 4.65-11.77）。
本研究表明，即使在调整了社会经济和健康相关因素后，索马里和库尔德裔人群与芬兰普通人群相比仍存在功能劣势。芬兰索马里裔女性以及库尔德裔男性和女性中活动受限的高患病率表明迫切需要促进这些人群的健康和功能。
