Adolescent Health and Adaptation in Canada: Examination of Gender and Age Aspects of the Healthy Immigrant Effect

Overview

Journal Int J Equity Health

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialties Health Services
Public Health

Date 2014 Nov 15

PMID 25394371

Citations 10

Authors

Kyunghwa Kwak

Floyd Rudmin

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: A longstanding and widely held assumption is that immigrants suffer from ill health and adaptation problems. Yet recent studies show that immigrants report the same or better state of health compared to their native-born counterparts. This phenomenon, known as the healthy immigrant effect, has been found in studies of specific health conditions of adults. The present study focuses instead on adolescents and extends its examination of the healthy immigrant effect, measuring both health and adaptation.

Methods: Using data from population samples in the Canadian Community Health Survey (2007), foreign-born immigrant adolescents (n = 920) were compared to non-immigrant adolescents (n = 13,572) for their self-report to questionnaire items for health (general health, mental health, chronic illnesses with psychosomatic symptoms, and psychological illnesses) and adaptation (daily life stress, life satisfaction, and sense of belonging). Adolescents' gender, age, and length of residence were analyzed for the effects.

Results: Immigrant adolescents were better than non-immigrant peers on the four health measures, and did not differ from non-immigrants on the three adaptation measures despite having less household income and more family members in the household. Immigrant girls exhibited more resilient adaptability, while young immigrant boys and older non-immigrant girls displayed some potential vulnerability. Length of residence, on the other hand, did not contribute to differences for the health and adaptation of immigrant adolescents.

Conclusions: The healthy immigrant effect was confirmed in a community population sample of adolescents in Canada. Foreign-born immigrant adolescents experience better health, as well as good adaptation equal to their native-born peers. These outcomes call for further research on sustaining good health and adaptation of the immigrant population, in particular by providing age-related effective services and prevention strategies.

Citing Articles

Mental Health of Immigrant Children and Adolescents (6-17 Years) in Canada: Evidence from the Canadian Health Measures Survey.

Salami O, Yaskina M, Georgiades K, Diaz E, Hegadoren K, Meherali S Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023; 20(21).

PMID: 37947555 PMC: 10650002. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20216997.

Immigrant child health in Canada: a scoping review.

Salami B, Olukotun M, Vastani M, Amodu O, Tetreault B, Obegu P BMJ Glob Health. 2022; 7(4).

PMID: 35428681 PMC: 9014022. DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2021-008189.

Understanding the Healthy Immigrant Effect in the Context of Mental Health Challenges: A Systematic Critical Review.

Elshahat S, Moffat T, Newbold K J Immigr Minor Health. 2021; 24(6):1564-1579.

PMID: 34807354 PMC: 8606270. DOI: 10.1007/s10903-021-01313-5.

Immigrants, Ethnicity, and Adherence to Secondary Cardiac Prevention Therapy: A Substudy of the ISLAND Trial.

Shepherd S, Ivers N, Natarajan M, Grimshaw J, Taljaard M, Bouck Z CJC Open. 2021; 3(7):913-923.

PMID: 34401698 PMC: 8348195. DOI: 10.1016/j.cjco.2021.03.003.

Trends in mental health service utilisation in immigrant youth in Ontario, Canada, 1996-2012: a population-based longitudinal cohort study.

Saunders N, Lebenbaum M, Lu H, Stukel T, Urquia M, Guttmann A BMJ Open. 2018; 8(9):e022647.

PMID: 30224392 PMC: 6144399. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-022647.

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