Self-rated health among undocumented and newly regularized migrants in Geneva: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background In Europe, knowledge about the social determinants of health among undocumented migrants is scarce. The canton of Geneva, Switzerland, implemented in 2017–2018 a pilot public policy aiming at regularizing undocumented migrants. We sought to test for associations between self-rated health, proven eligibility for residence status regularization and social and economic integration. Methods This paper reports data from the first wave of the Parchemins Study, a prospective study whose aim is to investigate the effect of residence status regularization on undocumented migrants’ living conditions and health. The convenience sample included undocumented migrants living in Geneva for at least 3 years. We categorized them into those who were in the process of receiving or had just been granted a residence permit (eligible or newly regularized) and those who had not applied or were ineligible for regularization (undocumented). We conducted multivariate regression analyses to determine factors associated with better self-rated health, i.e., with excellent/very good vs. good/fair/poor self-rated health. Among these factors, measures of integration, social support and economic resources were included. Results Of the 437 participants, 202 (46%) belonged to the eligible or newly regularized group. This group reported better health more frequently than the undocumented group (44.6% versus 28.9%, p-value < .001), but the association was no longer significant after adjustment for social support and economic factors (odds ratio (OR): 1.12; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.67–1.87). Overall, better health was associated with larger social networks (OR: 1.66; 95% CI: 1.04–2.64). This association remained significant even after adjusting for health-related variables. Conclusion At the onset of the regularization program, access to regularization was not associated with better self-rated health. Policies aiming at favouring undocumented migrants’ inclusion and engagement in social networks may promote better health. Future research should investigate long-term effects of residence status regularization on self-rated health.

Association Between Residence Status Regularization and Access to Healthcare for Undocumented Migrants in Switzerland: A Panel Study

“…Specifically, we found that women were more likely than men to visit a doctor and that having access to a GP was a key predictor of undocumented migrants' healthcare utilization. We also found that a lower equivalent disposable income was associated with higher medical visit counts, a result consistent with previous studies about undocumented migrants' health needs in Switzerland and elsewhere, which showed that the lack of financial resources increased the odds of reporting poor health ( 26 , 47 – 49 ). While financial barriers might hinder healthcare utilization in times of need, especially in countries where the healthcare system is predominantly market-driven, the dedicated unit for undocumented population in Geneva might contribute to bridging the gap between migrants' health needs and their healthcare access, providing a contextual explanation for the negative relationship between income and healthcare utilization.…”

Social Integration and Health Among Young Migrants in China: Mediated by Social Mentality and Moderated by Gender

“…In this study, increased social integration effectively improved the health status of young migrants, which is a finding that supported H1 and kept with the results of previous research. As the main force of China’s floating population, young migrants see the degree of social integration directly affect their health status ( Fakhoury et al, 2021 ). In terms of economic integration, young migrants do not have the same access to social security and medical services as locals, and difficulties, such as the reimbursement of medical bills from places other than the registered place of residence under the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme, have affected their access to medical treatment ( Zheng et al, 2020 ).…”

Psychosocial and Sociodemographic Determinants Related to Chronic Diseases in Immigrants Residing in Spain

“…Data obtained in other research confirm that some of these health conditions are more notable and probable among those individuals who lack social support, or the social support they receive is insufficient or unsatisfactory [ 77 , 78 ]. Deficient levels of social support relate to the risk of cardiovascular diseases [ 12 , 18 , 79 ], psychological problems [ 80 , 81 , 82 ], or low levels of health [ 16 , 83 ]. In this sense, interpersonal relationships can act as protective factors against different physical and mental problems.…”

“…Causes can be related to pre-migration factors as well as factors related to the migration process. A pioneering study carried out by Fakhoury et al (2021) analyzed health perception in both undocumented immigrants and recently arrived documented immigrants in Geneva (Switzerland) [ 16 ]. Documented immigrants who had recently arrived in the country reported higher levels of perceived health, although a strong relation between social support and health perception was found in both groups.…”

“…From a psychosocial point of view, and based on previous research [ 10 , 12 , 16 , 18 ], the present study aims to analyze the sociodemographic and psychosocial factors that affect chronic diseases in immigrants. For such purpose, common chronic diseases in immigrants have been selected based on long-term effects that can be considered as high risk for immigrants’ health.…”