Abstract
Previous research has shown migrants to have a poorer health status than those without a migration background in many respects. So far, it is not completely clear whether the poorer health results of migrants are mainly the cause of their socioeconomic status (SES), which on average is lower than the SES of people without a migration background. The present study explores the question whether the fact of having a migration background has an impact on health, even though SES and health-related behavior are taken into account. Based on data from the current Austrian Health Interview Survey (ATHIS 2014) multiple linear regression models, adjusted for age and stratified by gender, were conducted. The dependent variables were physical quality of life, psychological quality ofZ life, self-perceived health, body-mass-index (BMI), headaches/musculoskeletal pain, and diabetes/cardiovascular diseases (n=15,748). We found differences in health between men and women with migration background and men and women without migration background. After adjusting for age, SES and health-related behavior, almost all of the revealed differences got smaller. The strongest link between migrant status and health status was detected for migrants from countries with a lower Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index (IHDI) in comparison to Austria. The results lead to the conclusion that although SES and health-related behavior do not fully explain health differences between people with migration background and those without, they can explain the differences to a large extent. However, for the health status of migrants who stem from countries with a lower standard of living and a weaker distributive justice in comparison to Austria, further factors might play a role. With respect to this group of migrants, differences in health compared to non-migrants are not solely attributable to SES and health-related behavior.
Published Version
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