IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v158y2016icp43-51.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Ethnic health inequalities in Europe. The moderating and amplifying role of healthcare system characteristics

Author

Listed:
  • Blom, Niels
  • Huijts, Tim
  • Kraaykamp, Gerbert

Abstract

Health inequalities between ethnic majority and ethnic minority members are prevalent in contemporary European societies. In this study we used theories on socioeconomic deprivation and intersectionality to derive expectations on how ethnic inequalities in health may be exacerbated or mitigated by national healthcare policies. To test our hypotheses we used data from six waves of the European Social Survey (2002–2012) on 172,491 individuals living in 24 countries. In line with previous research, our results showed that migrants report lower levels of health than natives. In general a country's healthcare expenditure appears to reduce socioeconomic differences in health, but at the same time induces health differences between recent migrants and natives. We also found that specific policies aimed at reducing socioeconomic inequalities in health appeared to work as intended, but as a side-effect amplified differences between natives and recent migrants in self-assessed health and well-being. Finally, our results indicated that policies specifically directed at the improvement of migrants' health, only affected well-being for migrants who have lived in the receiving country for more than 10 years.

Suggested Citation

  • Blom, Niels & Huijts, Tim & Kraaykamp, Gerbert, 2016. "Ethnic health inequalities in Europe. The moderating and amplifying role of healthcare system characteristics," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 158(C), pages 43-51.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:158:y:2016:i:c:p:43-51
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.04.014
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953616301824
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.04.014?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Umar Z Ikram & Davide Malmusi & Knud Juel & Grégoire Rey & Anton E Kunst, 2015. "Association between Integration Policies and Immigrants’ Mortality: An Explorative Study across Three European Countries," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(6), pages 1-14, June.
    2. Bauer, Greta R., 2014. "Incorporating intersectionality theory into population health research methodology: Challenges and the potential to advance health equity," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 10-17.
    3. Abraído-Lanza, A.F. & Dohrenwend, B.P. & Ng-Mak, D.S. & Turner, J.B., 1999. "The Latino mortality paradox: A test of the 'salmon bias' and healthy migrant hypotheses," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 89(10), pages 1543-1548.
    4. Mackenbach, Johan P., 2012. "The persistence of health inequalities in modern welfare states: The explanation of a paradox," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(4), pages 761-769.
    5. Nazroo, J.Y., 2003. "The structuring of ethnic inequalities in health: Economic position, racial discrimination, and racism," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 93(2), pages 277-284.
    6. Tim Huijts & Gerbert Kraaykamp, 2012. "Immigrants’ Health in Europe: A Cross-Classified Multilevel Approach to Examine Origin Country, Destination Country, and Community Effects," International Migration Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(1), pages 101-137, March.
    7. Steven Kennedy & James Ted McDonald & Nicholas Biddle, 2006. "The Healthy Immigrant Effect and Immigrant Selection: Evidence from Four Countries," Social and Economic Dimensions of an Aging Population Research Papers 164, McMaster University.
    8. repec:dau:papers:123456789/10510 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Hankivsky, Olena, 2012. "Women’s health, men’s health, and gender and health: Implications of intersectionality," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(11), pages 1712-1720.
    10. Signe Nielsen & Allan Krasnik, 2010. "Poorer self-perceived health among migrants and ethnic minorities versus the majority population in Europe: a systematic review," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 55(5), pages 357-371, October.
    11. Dahl, Espen & van der Wel, Kjetil A., 2013. "Educational inequalities in health in European welfare states: A social expenditure approach," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 60-69.
    12. Malmusi, Davide & Borrell, Carme & Benach, Joan, 2010. "Migration-related health inequalities: Showing the complex interactions between gender, social class and place of origin," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(9), pages 1610-1619, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Feras Kasabji & Alaa Alrajo & Ferenc Vincze & László Kőrösi & Róza Ádány & János Sándor, 2020. "Self-Declared Roma Ethnicity and Health Insurance Expenditures: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Investigation at the General Medical Practice Level in Hungary," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-17, December.
    2. Sofia Xesfingi & Dimitrios Karamanis & Alexandra Kechrinioti, 2020. "Subjective Health Status and Immigration: Evidence across Europe," SPOUDAI Journal of Economics and Business, SPOUDAI Journal of Economics and Business, University of Piraeus, vol. 70(1-2), pages 3-19, January-J.
    3. Gkiouleka, Anna & Huijts, Tim, 2020. "Intersectional migration-related health inequalities in Europe: Exploring the role of migrant generation, occupational status & gender," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 267(C).
    4. Håvard T Rydland & Erlend L Fjær & Terje A Eikemo & Tim Huijts & Clare Bambra & Claus Wendt & Ivana Kulhánová & Pekka Martikainen & Chris Dibben & Ramunė Kalėdienė & Carme Borrell & Mall Leinsalu & Ma, 2020. "Educational inequalities in mortality amenable to healthcare. A comparison of European healthcare systems," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(7), pages 1-17, July.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Gkiouleka, Anna & Huijts, Tim, 2020. "Intersectional migration-related health inequalities in Europe: Exploring the role of migrant generation, occupational status & gender," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 267(C).
    2. Caterina Francesca Guidi & Laia Palència & Silvia Ferrini and Davide Malmusi, 2016. "Inequalities by immigrant status in unmet needs for healthcare in Europe: the role of origin, nationality and economic resources," RSCAS Working Papers 2016/55, European University Institute.
    3. Mara Getz Sheftel & Rachel Margolis & Ashton M. Verdery, 2023. "Health Across Borders: A Crossnational Comparison of Immigrant Health in Europe," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 42(3), pages 1-20, June.
    4. Gkiouleka, Anna & Huijts, Tim & Beckfield, Jason & Bambra, Clare, 2018. "Understanding the micro and macro politics of health: Inequalities, intersectionality & institutions - A research agenda," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 200(C), pages 92-98.
    5. Silvia Loi & Jo Mhairi Hale, 2019. "Migrant health convergence and the role of material deprivation," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 40(32), pages 933-962.
    6. Sofia Xesfingi & Dimitrios Karamanis & Alexandra Kechrinioti, 2020. "Subjective Health Status and Immigration: Evidence across Europe," SPOUDAI Journal of Economics and Business, SPOUDAI Journal of Economics and Business, University of Piraeus, vol. 70(1-2), pages 3-19, January-J.
    7. Matias Reus-Pons & Eva U. B. Kibele & Fanny Janssen, 2017. "Differences in healthy life expectancy between older migrants and non-migrants in three European countries over time," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 62(5), pages 531-540, June.
    8. John Gibson & Steven Stillman & David McKenzie & Halahingano Rohorua, 2013. "Natural Experiment Evidence On The Effect Of Migration On Blood Pressure And Hypertension," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 22(6), pages 655-672, June.
    9. Parker, Rhiannon & Larkin, Theresa & Cockburn, Jon, 2017. "A visual analysis of gender bias in contemporary anatomy textbooks," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 180(C), pages 106-113.
    10. Vonneilich, Nico & Lüdecke, Daniel & von dem Knesebeck, Olaf, 2020. "Educational inequalities in self-rated health and social relationships – analyses based on the European Social Survey 2002-2016," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 267(C).
    11. Javier Álvarez-Gálvez & María Luisa Rodero-Cosano & José A. Salinas-Pérez & Diego Gómez-Baya, 2019. "Exploring the Complex Associations Among Social Determinants of Health in Andalusia After the 2008 Financial Crisis," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 141(2), pages 873-893, January.
    12. Silvia Loi & Daniela Vono de Vilhena, 2020. "Exclusion through statistical invisibility. An exploration on what can be known through publicly available datasets on irregular migration and the health status of this population in Germany," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2020-009, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    13. Jutz, Regina, 2020. "Health inequalities in Eastern Europe. Does the role of the welfare regime differ from Western Europe?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 267(C).
    14. Cecilie Dinesen & Signe Nielsen & Laust Mortensen & Allan Krasnik, 2011. "Inequality in self-rated health among immigrants, their descendants and ethnic Danes: examining the role of socioeconomic position," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 56(5), pages 503-514, October.
    15. Beccia, Ariel L. & Baek, Jonggyu & Austin, S. Bryn & Jesdale, William M. & Lapane, Kate L., 2021. "Eating-related pathology at the intersection of gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, and weight status: An intersectional Multilevel Analysis of Individual Heterogeneity and Discriminat," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 281(C).
    16. Collins, Alexandra B. & Boyd, Jade & Cooper, Hannah L.F. & McNeil, Ryan, 2019. "The intersectional risk environment of people who use drugs," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 234(C), pages 1-1.
    17. Zaiceva, A. & Zimmermann, K.F., 2016. "Migration and the Demographic Shift," Handbook of the Economics of Population Aging, in: Piggott, John & Woodland, Alan (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Population Aging, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 0, pages 119-177, Elsevier.
    18. James Ted McDonald & Jeremiah Neily, 2007. "Immigration, Ethnicity and Cancer in U.S. Women," Social and Economic Dimensions of an Aging Population Research Papers 206, McMaster University.
    19. Annelene Wengler, 2011. "The health status of first- and second-generation Turkish immigrants in Germany," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 56(5), pages 493-501, October.
    20. Boulogne, Roxane & Jougla, Eric & Breem, Yves & Kunst, Anton E. & Rey, Grégoire, 2012. "Mortality differences between the foreign-born and locally-born population in France (2004–2007)," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(8), pages 1213-1223.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:158:y:2016:i:c:p:43-51. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/315/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.