Abstract
BackgroundSocial support is an important factor in the adaptation process of immigrants, helping for their integration in a new environment. The lack of social support may influence on well-being and health status. The aim of this study is to describe the social support of immigrant and native population and study the possible association between immigration and lack social support after adjusting for sociodemographic factors, income, stress and self-reported health status.MethodsCross-sectional population based study of immigrants and national patients without mental disorders of 15 urban primary health centers in the north-eastern area of Madrid. Participants provided information on social support, stress level, perceived health status and socio-economic characteristics. Descriptive and multiple logistic regression were conducted.ResultsThe proportion of the global perception of social support among immigrants and natives was 79.2% and 94.2%, respectively. The lack of global social support adjusted prevalence ratio (PR) of immigrant was 2.72 (95% Confidence Interval = 1.81-4.09), showing a significant association with being male (PR = 2.26), having monthly income below 500 euros (PR = 3.81) and suffering stress (PR = 1.94). For the dimensions of lack of social support the higher association was being an immigrant and suffering stress.ConclusionsWe conclude that with regardless of the level of monthly income, stress level, self-reported health status, and gender, immigrant status is directly associated with lack social support. The variable most strongly associated with lack social support has been monthly income below 500 euros.
Highlights
Social support is an important factor in the adaptation process of immigrants, helping for their integration in a new environment
This study has demonstrated that immigrant population attended in the north-eastern area of primary health care, compared with the natives, perceives a lower overall social support, which is reflected in the four dimensions of social support
In a recent a study with the purpose to describe and compare immigrant (n = 46) and native Swedish patients (n = 46) in physical limitation, emotional state, social support and self-care [26], the authors observed that only the dimension of emotional social support was significantly worse (p = 0.048) in immigrants than Swedes, immigrants had a greater need for emotional support that the natives
Summary
Social support is an important factor in the adaptation process of immigrants, helping for their integration in a new environment. In the year 2010, in the north-eastern area of Madrid, most of the foreign population comes from Latin America, over 60% of foreigners are Ecuadorian, Colombian, Peruvian, Bolivian, Dominican and Paraguayan even reaching in some districts of this area above 80% [4] These data are similar to those reported by other large cities in Spain [3]. The migration experience includes major changes in the person’s environment, with the incorporation of a new physical context, institutional and sociocultural (climatic and geographic changes in the rules and values), so it will be necessary to adjust to the new social position with a major transformation of its network of social relationships All these circumstances may pose a risk for health, physical and psychological and make the process of adaptation and integration in the new society complex [6]
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