Immigration and Health Disparities

Abstract

Migration continues to be an important component of globalization. With global movement comes migrants’ vulnerability, and the consequent intersection with health and health disparities. The immigrant population in the United States is expected to increase to about eighty-one million by 2050. This ongoing demographic transformation suggests that the health status, health risk behaviors, and health disparities of immigrants and their offspring may play a significant role in shaping the health outcomes of the American population. Immigrants are particularly considered a vulnerable population because of insufficient access to and utilization of health care, limited English proficiency, low socioeconomic status, immigrant status, stigmatization, marginalization, and increased risk for poor physical, psychological, and social health outcomes, especially among the working poor. These factors undoubtedly have detrimental effects on the health and health disparities of immigrants and their children. These social, environmental, and behavioral occurrences or life experiences accumulate over time to improve or jeopardize an individual’s health. Similarly, immigration policies have a tremendous impact on immigrant health disparities, especially during periods of strict and intense enforcement in the United States. Nativity has become a prominent domain in health disparities research. Given that nativity, racial, and ethnic health disparities continue to be a major public health concern, social work scholars and practitioners continue to work toward eliminating health disparities among population subgroups, including immigrants. Included in these discussions are immigrant health service use, immigrant health effects, salmon bias, and determinants of immigrant health. Also important in working with immigrants are problems with accessibility to health services.