Abstract
Equal access to health care is one of the key policy priorities in many European societies. Previous findings suggest that there may be wide differences in the use of health services between people of migrant origin and the general population. We analyzed cross-sectional data from a random sample of persons of Russian (n = 692), Somali (n = 489), and Kurdish (n = 614) origin and the Health 2011 survey data (n = 1406) representing the general population in Finland. Having at least one outpatient visit to any medical doctor during the previous 12 months was at the same level for groups of Russian and Kurdish origin, but lower for people of Somali origin, compared with the general population. Clear differences were found when examining where health care services were sought: people of migrant origin predominantly visited a doctor at municipal health centers whereas the general population also used private and occupational health care. Self-reported need for doctor’s treatment was especially high among Russian women and Kurdish men and women. Compared to the general population, all migrant origin groups reported much higher levels of unmet medical need and were less satisfied with the treatment they had received. Improving basic-level health services would serve besides the population at large, the wellbeing of the population of migrant origin.
Highlights
Equal access to appropriate, effective health services is essential for equity in health [1,2].Improving access to health care is among the priority objectives for promoting social inclusion and equal opportunities for all [3]
The groups of migrant origin differed from the general population with respect to most of the sociodemographic characteristics
Self-perceived economic hardship among the migrant origin groups was most commonly experienced by the participants of Kurdish origin
Summary
Effective health services is essential for equity in health [1,2].Improving access to health care is among the priority objectives for promoting social inclusion and equal opportunities for all [3]. Formal and informal barriers hamper the access of people of migrant origin to adequate health care [4,5]. Reliable data on access to health services are essential for identifying and removing the barriers and providing appropriate services to this population group [6]. The self-reported health of people of migrant origin tends to be poorer than that of the general population [16]. Post-migration factors such as discrimination, exclusion, and marginalization worsen the health status of people of migrant origin [5,17,18,19]. This is especially true for first-generation migrants. It is important to note, the heterogeneity of the populations of migrant origin—considerable differences between and within different groups exist
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International journal of environmental research and public health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
