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PubMed1995

Prevalence of antibodies against hepatitis A virus among new immigrants in Israel.

Israel, located in a region endemic for hepatitis A virus (HAV), recently absorbed a large population of immigrants who came from the former USSR. To assess the risk of high morbidity in this population a serosurvey of HAV antibodies was undertaken. Serum samples were collected from 965 new immigrants, of whom 664 came from the European, non-endemic region, and 301 from the Asian and Caucasian endemic regions of the former Soviet Union. They were compared to 240 Israelis. Each population was divided into six age groups: 1-9, 10-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, and 50 years of age and older. The Asian/Caucasian immigrants and the Israeli population were found to share similar characteristics. In both groups, antibodies to HAV (anti-HAV) were present in the 1-9-year-old age group and reached maximum prevalence (90% and 86.7%, respectively) in the 20-29-year-old age group. In contrast, among the European immigrants anti-HAV was first found in the 10-19-year-olds and peaked (93%) in the age group of 50 years and older. It is concluded that immigrants originating from the European part of the former USSR may require vaccination against hepatitis A.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Media in the lives of immigrant youth.

This chapter uses data from the Longitudinal Immigrant Student Adaptation Study to examine media use patterns among immigrant teens. Similarities and differences in media ownership levels, use patterns, and content preferences between immigrant teens and the U.S. teen population as a whole, as well as across immigrant groups and gender, are explored. Implications for educators and others who work with immigrant youth include active discussion with youth about their media choices and media messages.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

The macroeconomic effects of immigration: Israel in the 1990s.

"In this paper we try to quantify the contribution of immigration to the Israeli economy during the early 1990s. In doing so we consider the effects of immigration on key macroeconomic variables such as GDP, investment, consumption, the labor market, imports, exports and the housing market....A base-run simulation is prepared for 1990-1994 assuming actual immigration. Thereafter a counterfactual simulation is prepared assuming a reduction in immigration; the difference between the two simulations estimates the contribution of immigration to the relevant endogenous variables."

Asia↗

PubMed2006

Patterns of inpatient care for immigrants in Switzerland: a case control study.

BACKGROUND: Migration has become a major political and social concern in West European societies. METHODS: A case-control method was used to analyse the utilisation of inpatient mental health services by immigrants from a catchment area in Switzerland over a 7-year period. RESULTS: Compared to natives, immigrants had fewer psychiatric hospitalisations, but more emergency and compulsory admissions. During inpatient treatment, they received less psycho-, ergo- and physiotherapy. Other therapies as well as compulsory measures were at comparable rates, as was the frequency of irregular discharge. They spent shorter periods as inpatients and the rate of psychiatric readmissions was significantly lower. Comparison of different countries of origin revealed that only patients from West and North Europe were comparable to natives regarding type of referral, inpatient treatment, and longitudinal measures of service utilisation. Even after accounting for effects of social class, immigrants from South Europe, former Yugoslavia, Turkey, East Europe and more distant countries spent significantly shorter time in inpatient treatment, compared to Swiss control patients. CONCLUSIONS: Results of this study clearly point to an underutilisation of inpatient facilities among immigrants with mental disorders, and to disadvantages in psychiatric inpatient care. This, however, does not pertain to all foreign patients to the same extent: inequalities of mental health service use are particularly pronounced in immigrants from more distant countries.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Gender differences in factors associated with psychological distress among immigrants from low- and middle-income countries--findings from the Oslo Health Study.

OBJECTIVE: Despite the high rate of migration from low- and middle-income countries to high-income countries, there is still a lack of comprehensive studies of gender-specific differences in psychological distress in a diverse group of immigrants. We compared psychological distress between male and female immigrants from low- and middle-income countries living in Oslo, and identified factors associated with distress for men and women, separately. METHOD: A cross-sectional survey with self-administered questionnaires was conducted among 1536 immigrants from low- and middle-income countries living in Oslo. The Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-10) was used to measure psychological distress. Data on their sociodemographic characteristics, negative and traumatic life events, and social integration and possible discrimination in the Norwegian society were also collected. RESULTS: One-fourth of the study population was found to be psychologically distressed, with almost equal levels among men and women. Lack of salaried job and recent negative life events were independently associated with psychological distress for both genders. Furthermore, experience of denial of job and past traumatic experiences were other associated negative factors among men, while visits made by Norwegians appeared as a protective factor against distress among men. Older age, Middle East background, living without a partner, and experiencing denial of housing were other associated negative factors among women. CONCLUSION: Our findings show that, except for adverse living conditions, there are gender differences with regard to factors associated with psychological distress among immigrants living in Oslo. Such gender issues are relevant for assisting immigrants in the integration process as well as for future research in migration and health.

Adult↗

PubMed2007

Factors in the delayed HIV presentation of immigrants in Northern California: implications for voluntary counseling and testing programs.

To describe the determinants of delayed HIV presentation in one Northern California County, the authors identify persons with an opportunistic infection (OI) at HIV diagnosis. From 2000-2002, a sample of HIV patients attending a public AIDS program (n=391) were identified. Immigrants composed 24% of our sample; 78.7% of immigrants were Hispanic. Immigrants, compared to U.S.-born patients, presented with lower initial CD4+ counts at diagnosis than U.S.-born patients (287 cells/mm(3) vs. 333 cells/mm(3), p=0.143), were more likely to have an OI at HIV diagnosis (29.8% vs. 17.2%, p=0.009), and were more likely to be hospitalized at HIV diagnosis (20.2% vs. 12.5%, p=0.064). We found only immigrant status was significantly and independently associated with delayed presentation. Interviews with 20 newly HIV diagnosed Hispanic patients suggest lack of knowledge regarding HIV risk, social stigma, secrecy and symptom driven health seeking behavior all contribute to delayed clinical presentation. The main precipitants of HIV testing for immigrants were HIV/AIDS related symptoms and sexually transmitted infection (STI)/HIV diagnosis in a sexual partner. These results support augmentation of STI/HIV voluntary clinical testing and partner notification services along the Mexico-California migrant corridor.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

PubMed2005

Parental awareness of health and community resources among immigrant families.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between parental immigrant status and awareness of health and community resources to help address common family problems. METHODS: Using the 1999 National Survey of America's Families, a survey of the health, economic, and social characteristics of children and adults, bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted on 35,938 children to examine the relationship between parents' immigrant status (U.S.-born citizens, naturalized citizens, and noncitizens) and their responses to questions about their awareness of specific health and community resources. RESULTS: Compared to U.S.-born citizens, noncitizens were at the highest risk of not being aware of health and community resources for most outcomes, followed by naturalized citizens. The services of which noncitizens were most likely to be unaware were places to get help for family discord, child care issues, and family violence. Multivariate analyses indicate that parental race/ethnicity, education level, employment status, and child age were other significant independent risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: Immigrant parents are at particularly high risk of alienation from systems of health care and support services that are available to low-income and other vulnerable populations in the United States. These findings clearly document disparate awareness among parents of different immigrant status. Community and health resources should reach out to immigrant populations, in linguistically and culturally appropriate ways, to alert them to the availability of their services.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Demoralization in Soviet-Jewish immigrants to the United States and Israel.

Two hundred seventy-two recent Soviet-Jewish immigrants to the United States were compared with 412 Soviet-Jewish immigrants to Israel for the purpose of determining which country was more likely to lead to the development of demoralization. Even when differences in age and marital state were accounted for, the immigrants to the United States were significantly more demoralized. Individuals with low social support, older immigrants, women, and divorced or widowed individuals were more likely to be demoralized in both countries. Self-selection and host reception factors are explored to explain the differences between the two groups of immigrants.

Acculturation↗

PubMed1996

Physical and psychological well-being among immigrant referrals to colonoscopy.

The association between immigration and well-being was studied in 2 groups of referrals to colonoscopy in the Negev region of Israel: Eastern Europe born (n = 278) and Israeli born (n = 70). The findings of this study suggest that the first 3 years after migration are associated with inferior physical and psychological well-being, and, to a lesser degree, with poorer family functioning and limited social interactions. The differences between immigrants and Israeli born tended to fade away as years went by, and the most veteran immigrants, those who immigrated more than 40 years prior to the study, scored best on most physical and psychological well-being indicators. Findings are discussed in terms of a life events approach and in terms of Israeli immigration regulations and absorption policy.

Aged↗

PubMed2004

The association between length of residence and obesity among Hispanic immigrants.

BACKGROUND: Newly arrived Hispanic immigrants are generally healthier than the U.S.-born population, but this distinction tends to diminish over time as immigrants adapt to a new and different sociocultural environment. OBJECTIVE: This study sought to determine whether length of residence in the United States was associated with obesity (body mass index [BMI]>30 kg/m(2)) among Hispanic immigrants. METHODS: Data for 2420 foreign-born Hispanic adults aged > or =18 years were obtained from the 1998 National Health Interview Survey. RESULTS: The prevalence of obesity among those with 0 to 4, 5 to 9, 10 to 14, and > or =15 years of residence in the United States was 9.4%, 14.5%, 21.0%, and 24.2%, respectively. A logistic regression model adjusted for smoking, physical inactivity, self-assessed health, chronic conditions, functional limitations, nonspecific psychological distress, several sociodemographic characteristics, and access to health services found that longer-term Hispanic immigrants (> or =15 years) experienced a nearly four-fold greater risk of obesity than did recent immigrants (<5 years). CONCLUSIONS: The higher risk for obesity associated with length of residence may be due to acculturation processes such as the adoption of the unhealthy dietary practices (i.e., a diet high in fat and low in fruits and vegetables) and sedentary lifestyles of the host country. The results of this study may facilitate the planning of public health interventions that are directed at subgroups of the Hispanic population.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

A review of records from follow-up visits for immigrant and Swedish patients at a heart failure clinic.

UNLABELLED: Today, nearly 20% of the Swedish population originates from multiethnic backgrounds. Patients' symptom expressions, adherence to health regimens, and communication with health-care professionals have been shown to be related to their ethnic and cultural backgrounds. PURPOSE: To describe documented care of immigrant patients and matched Swedish patients at a heart failure clinic. METHOD: Journal audit of records of 25 immigrant and 25 matched Swedish patients with HF included from the patient registration database at the hospital where they were cared for. RESULTS: In the immigrant group, significantly fewer clinical parameters were assessed during their visits and fewer patients were scheduled for follow-up visits. Analyses revealed that some of the items recommended in the European Society of Cardiology guidelines for non-pharmacological HF care were overlooked for both of the groups. CONCLUSIONS: We found that medication adjustments and information about the condition and treatment were fairly similarly documented between Swedish and immigrant patients while significantly fewer clinical measurements and follow-up visits were documented for the immigrant group.

Aftercare↗

PubMed2003

Welfare reform, labor supply, and health insurance in the immigrant population.

Although the 1996 welfare reform legislation limited the eligibility of immigrant households to receive assistance, many states chose to protect their immigrant populations by offering state-funded aid to these groups. I exploit these changes in eligibility rules to examine the link between the welfare cutbacks and health insurance coverage in the immigrant population. The data reveal that the cutbacks in the Medicaid program did not reduce health insurance coverage rates among targeted immigrants. The immigrants responded by increasing their labor supply, thereby raising the probability of being covered by employer-sponsored health insurance.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Is migration to Canada associated with unhealthy weight gain? Overweight and obesity among Canada's immigrants.

This paper aims to address a gap in our understanding of immigrant health issues by examining the determinants of excess weight--an important indicator of current and future health. The paper combines data drawn from recent large health surveys to identify how the weight of recent immigrants compares with that of native-born people, and how the likelihood of becoming overweight or obese changes with additional years in Canada. We find evidence that on average, immigrants are substantially less likely to be obese or overweight upon arrival in Canada. These measures converge slowly to native-born levels, but there is marked variation by the ethnicity of the immigrant. Since changes in weight will reflect choices with respect to diet and activity, the extent to which overweight and obesity rates change with years in Canada may reflect the extent to which immigrants interact with or are influenced by members of their ethnic group who reside in the same area. We find evidence that ethnic group social network effects exert a quantitatively important influence on the incidence of being overweight and obese for members of most ethnic minorities, tempering the process of adjustment to Canadian lifestyle norms that may be driving excess weight gain with additional years in Canada.

Acculturation↗

PubMed2002

[Imported diseases in African immigrants in Spain: study of 1,321 patients].

BACKGROUND: Immigrants can carry diseases characteristic from their countries of origin. These are known as imported diseases (ID) and can be classified into tropical diseases (TD) or cosmopolitan diseases (CD). The aim of this study was to analyse the ID in African immigrants and evaluate their repercussion in the Spanish Public Health. PATIENTS AND METHOD: Observational study, retrospective protocol, carried from 1984 to 1994 in African immigrants seen in a reference Hospital. Not infectious chronic ID were excluded. The repercussion in public health was divided in 3 categories according to transmission risk to the host population: a) ID without current risk; b) ID with potential risk and, c) ID of risk. RESULTS: 1,321 African immigrants were considered. Most of them were from Sub-Saharan Africa. The most frequent TD were helminthiases and among CD, tuberculosis, sexually transmitted diseases and parasitoses. ID without transmission risk were 26.7% (2.4% CD and 24.3% TD), ID with potential risk 35.2% (33.6% CD and 1.6% TD) and ID with risk 38% (all CD). CONCLUSIONS: The CD and their association with poverty suppose a higher risk of transmission to the host country population. Global policies of helping social and economic insertion of immigrant populations, combined with international health collaboration, will rebound positively in the general population's health.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

The factors of child physical abuse in Korean immigrant families.

OBJECTIVE: This study explores Korean immigrant mothers' attitudes toward child physical abuse based on an ecological perspective. METHOD: One hundred and forty-four Korean immigrant mothers who came to the US after age 16 and have at least one child under 18 years old participated in this study. Data were collected using instruments translated in Korean that measure mothers' attitudes toward child physical abuse in four areas: degree of agreement with physical abuse, conflict tactics, belief in the use of physical punishment, and perceptions regarding physical abuse. RESULTS: This study found that the following variables affect Korean immigrant mothers' attitudes toward child physical abuse at ecological levels of the environment: amount of time spent with children, experience of corporal punishment as a child, children's gender and age, family acculturation conflicts, mothers' age, and length of time in US at the micro level; involvement in their children's school and involvement in social organizations at the meso level; level of education and reported stress of immigrant life at the exo level; value of children in Korean culture, familiarity with Child Protective Services (CPS), perceived discrimination, and value of corporal punishment at the macro level. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests the importance of cultural sensitivity in social work practice when working with Korean immigrants. It also implies that intervention and prevention efforts of child abuse should be targeted at more than one level of the environment.

Acculturation↗

PubMed2000

[Sociodemographic characteristics and use of health services by the immigrant population residing in a district of the Community of Madrid].

OBJECTIVE: To describe the social and demographic characteristics of the immigrant population residing in a health district and their use of health services. PARTICIPANTS: Immigrant population with papers or otherwise living in the area under study. SETTING: Health District 6 in the Community of Madrid. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Individual interviews with 300 immigrants chosen by two-stage conglomerate sampling. Average age was 32.6 (95% CI, 31.6-33.7) with 6.6 years living in Spain. 30.9% (CI, 24.3-35.9) lived in a situation of administrative and health-coverage irregularity. One of every five people had neither running water nor rubbish collection. The main health problems arising were muscular pains (69%; CI, 63.9-74.1), upper respiratory path ailments (40.3%; CI, 33.9-46.7) and accidents (27.3%; CI, 16.9-37.7). Health centres (64.5%; CI, 56.7-72.3) were used in preference to other services, with emergency being almost the only path into hospital admission. CONCLUSIONS: The immigrant population has lived in this area for a long time, despite living in adverse conditions in administrative and health terms. The public health service through INSALUD is the principal provider of health services to immigrants.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

[HIV infection and other sexually-transmitted infections among immigrants in Barcelona].

BACKGROUND: Immigration is a recent phenomenon in Spain. Certain subgroups of the immigrant population may be vulnerable to acquiring sexually transmitted infections (STI). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Descriptive study of the seroprevalenceof certain STI (HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis) and the general characteristicsn of persons tested for HIV infection in a specialized clinic in Barcelona during the year 2000. RESULTS: Seroprevalence of HIV was similar in immigrants and native residents(1.8% vs. 1.7% respectively). However, the seroprevalences of hepatitis B virus (anti-HBc) (19.5% vs. 8.3%) and syphilis (RPR 1 TPHA) (3.2% vs. 1.1%), as well as other STI and the practice of prostitution, were higher in immigrants. CONCLUSIONS: Several STI, including hepatitis B and syphilis, were found more frequently in immigrants than in the native population, whereas HIV seroprevalence was similar in the two groups.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Immigration flows and new epidemiological evidence in southern Italy.

Since 1991, immigration flows have had a relevant impact on the area of Salento, in southern Italy, with thousands of landings every year. For this reason, both temporary and permanent shelters were created. At these centres a team of doctors works permanently and full-time, carefully evaluating the immigrants' state of health and performing the sanitary interventions needed and/or provided by the law. Recently, 55 chickenpox cases were reported among Sri Lankan immigrants, four cases among subjects already sheltered in the centres who became infected after the arrival of the Sri Lankan group, and one in an Italian child. The Sri Lankan immigrants affected by chickenpox were aged 18-41 years and all recovered without sequelae. A seroepidemiological study was also performed. This was the first chickenpox epidemic ever occurred in a shelter for immigrants in Italy. This should induce attention towards the new and unpredictable sanitary emergencies that may occur in such contexts.

Adolescent↗