Physical Activity Levels and Perceived Changes in the Context of Intra-EEA Migration: A Study on Italian Immigrants in Norway

Abstract

As mobility within the European Economic Area (EEA) is on the rise, it is important to understand migrants' health-related behaviors (such as physical activity [PA]) within this context. This study investigated i) the extent to which Italian immigrants in Norway perceive that moving had a negative or positive impact on their PA; ii) possible differences between the PA of the Italian immigrants compared with the Norwegian population; and iii) possible associations of the Italian immigrants' PA with key sociodemographic characteristics (gender, age, region of residence, and educational level). The data were retrieved from the Mens Sana in Corpore Sano study. In order to enhance the sample's representativeness, the original dataset (n = 321) was oversampled in accordance with the proportion of key sociodemographic characteristics of the reference population using the ADASYN method (resampled n = 531). The results indicate that a large majority of Italian immigrants perceived that they were as or even more physically active in Norway than they would have been if they continued living in Italy, while 20% of the Italians perceived instead a negative impact. No significant differences were found in the PA levels of the Italians in comparison with the Norwegian population, though some differences were found in relation to specific modes of PA. After controlling for multiple sociodemographic characteristics, men, those with lower educational levels and, to a certain extent, older adults tended to perceive a more negative impact and be less physically active than their respective counterparts. Compared with those living in the most urbanized regions, a larger proportion of those living in less urbanized regions perceived a negative impact, though no differences were observed in terms of PA levels. The findings are discussed in light of acculturation, gender, and social gradient. The knowledge generated by this study sheds light on an important health-related behavior among Italians in Norway, which can inform initiatives that aim at promoting PA in this specific group as well as other similar contexts of intra-EEA migration.

Post-Migration Changes in Dietary Patterns and Physical Activity among Adult Foreign Residents in Niigata Prefecture, Japan: A Mixed-Methods Study

“…In spite of the PA-supportive environment in Niigata prefecture, its climate was recognized as a barrier to outdoor PA. A recent study conducted in Norway described the changes in PA habits among Italian immigrants. They reported a perceived increase in PA levels after moving to Norway and that Italian immigrants in Norway are more physically active than their counterparts in Italy [ 30 ].…”

Self-Rated Health Among Italian Immigrants Living in Norway: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…More specifically, the oversampling was based on the expected distribution of age and education level, which also resulted in an acceptable adjustment of gender and place of residence (final n = 531). More details about the oversampling procedures, including a comparisons of key socio-demographic characteristics of the reference population compared to the original sample and the resampled dataset, are described in Supplementary Materials and in a previous publication from the same study ( 65 ).…”

Editorial: The Impact of Migration and Resettlement on Health

“…Norwegians are considered relatively active in part due to the accessibility of safe, natural spaces, as well as the value placed on physical activity for good health ( 34 , 35 ). Calogiuri et al ( 36 ) examine the physical activity habits of recent Italian immigrants to Norway, as well as identifying factors that influence health behaviors among immigrant populations in general. Specifically, the purpose of the authors' work was 3-fold: (1) examine the extent to which recently immigrated Italians to Norway perceived their move as having a positive or negative impact on their physical activity practices; (2) compare the physical activity profile between Italians and Norwegians; and (3) identify differences among the Italian immigrant physical activity profile related to key sociodemographic factors.…”