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Living longer in poor health? A narrative review of the evidence among international migrants

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posted on 2024-10-09, 06:03 authored by Matthew WallaceMatthew Wallace

Introduction: Empirical evidence on migrant morbidity suggests migrants have a higher burden of disease when compared to non-migrants in high-income destination countries. Yet, empirical evidence relating to migrant mortality typically shows a lower risk of death compared to non-migrants. Migrants might be living longer lives in worse health—a migrant ‘morbidity-mortality’ paradox.

Sources of data: Peer-reviewed publications.

Areas of agreement: The paradox has been reported in different destinations, across different migrant groups, and across different health outcomes. It presents most consistently among migrants and women from low and middle-income countries and/or when morbidity outcomes are self-reported.

Areas of controversy: The majority of the evidence is based on aggregated, cross-sectional prevalence data that has well-known limitations. Many studies rely on self-reported morbidity information and/or specific aspects of morbidity that are unlikely to be representative of broader health.

Growing points: The idea that migrants are living longer lives in worse health is a relevant social and public health concern in destination countries that needs to be further explored and understood by gathering more reliable evidence.

Areas timely for developing research: We need more evidence of the paradox based upon linked individual-level, incidence-based data that can compare the morbidity and mortality risks of the same migrant and non-migrant populations using objective data on morbidity from primary care (i.e., general practitioners) or secondary care (i.e., hospitalisations). We need to know more about how widespread the paradox is, which migrant groups are most affected by it, and potential mechanisms responsible for it.

Funding

Living longer in poorer health? Understanding the Immigrant Morbidity Mortality Paradox (the UKRI HEu Guarantee: ERC Starting Grants 2023, APP44827)

History

ISSN

2002-617X

Original title

Living longer in poor health? A narrative review of the evidence among international migrants

Original language

  • English

Publication date

2024-10-09

access_level

  • public

access_condition

  • PUBLIC