Laboratory
Population Health
At a Glance
Projects
Publications
Team
Project
Immigrant-Native Health Disparities Over the Life Course in the European Context
Silvia Loi, Mikko Myrskylä, Anna Oksuzyan, Peng Li, Pekka Martikainen (MPIDR / University of Helsinki, Finland)
Detailed Description
It is as important as ever in a world where migrant flows are at all-time highs to analyze health differences between migrants and natives, and between different types of migrant groups. The research literature on migrant health shows that patterns vary across countries and by ethnic groupings. The data analyzed suggest that migrants are positively selected in terms of health, but exposures to undocumented status, poverty, social exclusion, adverse life events and assimilation to negative health behaviors in the host countries likely lead to deterioration in health as immigrants age in the receiving countries. How does the health of immigrants differ from that of natives? How does the health gap between immigrants and natives change over age, over time, and across generations? These are core questions addressed in this project.
We focus on how assimilation, socioeconomic conditions, adverse life events, and structural factors, such as gender and education, influence these dynamics. We look at the European context, particularly focusing on Germany and the Nordic countries.
These are our key results: We have found evidence that migrants have better health than natives but that this advantage disappears over time and as immigrants age in the receiving countries. This is particularly evident for migrants from low-income countries, for those who have lower education, and for those who experience social exclusion and/or adverse events during the life course.
Aging, Mortality and Longevity, Health Care, Public Health, Medicine, and Epidemiology, Life Course, Migration
Publications
Loi, S.; Li, P.; Myrskylä, M.:
MPIDR Working Paper WP-2023-005. (2023)
![Open Access](/content/images/mpidr-openaccess.svg)
Oksuzyan, A.; Drefahl, S.; Caputo, J.; Aradhya, S.:
European Journal of Population 39:8, 1–26. (2023)
Loi, S.; Li, P.; Myrskylä, M.:
MPIDR Working Paper WP-2022-018. (2022)
![Open Access](/content/images/mpidr-openaccess.svg)
Väisänen, H.; Remes, H. M.; Martikainen, P.:
SSM-Population Health 20:101298, 1–11. (2022)
![Open Access](/content/images/mpidr-openaccess.svg)
Caputo, J.; Li, P.; Kühn, M.; Brønnum-Hansen, H.; Oksuzyan, A.:
Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 76:10, 2155–2168. (2021)
![Open Access](/content/images/mpidr-openaccess.svg)
Loi, S.; Pitkänen, J.; Moustgaard, H.; Myrskylä, M.; Martikainen, P.:
Demography 58:5, 1655–1685. (2021)
![Open Access](/content/images/mpidr-openaccess.svg)
Östergren, O.; Korhonen, K.; Gustafsson, N.; Martikainen, P.:
European Journal of Public Health 31:2, 321–325. (2021)
![Open Access](/content/images/mpidr-openaccess.svg)
Eibich, P.; Liu, C.:
MPIDR Working Paper WP-2020-012. (2020)
![Open Access](/content/images/mpidr-openaccess.svg)
Loi, S.; Vono de Vilhena, D.:
MPIDR Working Paper WP-2020-009. (2020)
![Open Access](/content/images/mpidr-openaccess.svg)
Oksuzyan, A.; Drefahl, S.; Caputo, J.; Aradhya, S.:
MPIDR Working Paper WP-2020-026. (2020)
![Open Access](/content/images/mpidr-openaccess.svg)
Hamilton, E. R.; Hale, J. M.; Savinar, R.:
Demography 56:1, 1–24. (2019)
Hamilton, E. R.; Patler, C. C.; Hale, J. M.:
Sociology Compass 13:6, e12695–e12695. (2019)
![Open Access](/content/images/mpidr-openaccess.svg)
Loi, S.; Hale, J. M.:
Demographic Research 40:32, 933–962. (2019)
![Open Access](/content/images/mpidr-openaccess.svg)
Loi, S.; Pitkänen, J.; Moustgaard, H.; Myrskylä, M.; Martikainen, P.:
MPIDR Working Paper WP-2019-009. (2019)
![Open Access](/content/images/mpidr-openaccess.svg)
Haukka, J.; Suvisaari, J.; Sarvimäki, M.; Martikainen, P.:
Epidemiology 28:4, 587–593. (2017)
Nguyen, E. T.; Hale, J. M.:
International Migration 55:5, 44–61. (2017)
![Open Access](/content/images/mpidr-openaccess.svg)