Migrants and Disability Following Injury: Findings from a Prospective Study in New Zealand

Objectives: To compare the prevalence of disability between migrants and non-migrants at three and 24 months post-injury, and to identify key predictors of post-injury disability among migrants.

Methods: Disability among 2,850 injured participants, including 677 migrants to New Zealand, was measured prospectively using the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule.

Results: Migrants experienced higher risk of disability than non-migrants at three months post-injury (aRR=1.14, 95%CI 1.03-1.26). Both groups had similar disability prevalence, but higher than pre-injury, at 24 months. For migrants, strong predictors of disability at three months post-injury were: higher injury severity, pre-injury obesity, and perceiving the injury as a threat of disability. Having multiple chronic conditions was a predictor of disability at both time points.

Conclusions: Disability was persistent for migrants and non-migrants to 24 months post-injury. The disability risk at three months was higher for migrants. Certain predictors associated with disability were identified. Implications for public health: Despite having accessed healthcare services for their injury, migrants (compared with non-migrants) had higher risks of disability at least in the first three months post-injury. Interventions should be focused during this critical period on identified key predictors to promote faster recovery and reduce disability.