Self-rated health and wellbeing among the working-age immigrant population in Western Europe: findings from the European social survey (2014) special module on the social determinants of health.

BACKGROUND

The aim is to study the difference in self-rated health and wellbeing between native non-migrants and different immigrant groups: new (defined as having lived in the host country for 10 years or less), old (living in the host country for more than 10 years) and second-generation immigrants living in Western European countries.

METHODS

We use the European Social Survey Round 7, collected in 2014/15, to study the working-age population aged 20–64. We separate between first (new and old) and second-generation immigrants. Self-rated health was dichotomised as very good and good versus less than good health. Wellbeing was measured by constructing a continuous scale from eight 4-point Likert scale items (CES-D8). Data for 14 Western European countries were pooled together (N = 18 577). Men and women were analyzed separately using binary logistic and OLS regression.

RESULTS

For self-rated health, we found support among both men and women for the healthy migrant hypothesis. Among men only, second-generation immigrants had more deteriorating self-rated health by age, and old immigrants were similar to the natives. The four groups differed in wellbeing only among those with primary education, and more so among men than among women. Second-generation immigrants were worse and new immigrants better than natives and old immigrants.

CONCLUSION

This study supports the healthy migrant hypothesis among both men and women. Among men, old and second-generation immigrants’ predicted health falls more steeply by age. There was some variation between migrant groups in wellbeing among those with low education.