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Exporting Poor Health: The Irish in England

Author

Listed:
  • Delaney, Liam

    (University of Stirling)

  • Fernihough, Alan

    (University College Dublin)

  • Smith, James P.

    (RAND)

Abstract

The Irish-born population in England is in worse health than both the native population and the Irish population in Ireland, a reversal of the commonly observed healthy migrant effect. Recent birth-cohorts living in England and born in Ireland, however, are healthier than the English population. The substantial Irish health penalty arises principally for cohorts born between 1920 and 1960. This paper attempts to understand the processes that generated this migrant health pattern. Our results suggest a strong role for early childhood conditions and economic selection in driving the dynamics of health differences between the Irish-born migrants and White English populations.

Suggested Citation

  • Delaney, Liam & Fernihough, Alan & Smith, James P., 2011. "Exporting Poor Health: The Irish in England," IZA Discussion Papers 5852, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
  • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp5852
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Leavey, Gerard & Rozmovits, Linda & Ryan, Louise & King, Michael, 2007. "Explanations of depression among Irish migrants in Britain," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 65(2), pages 231-244, July.
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    6. George J. Borjas, 2021. "Self-Selection and the Earnings of Immigrants," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Foundational Essays in Immigration Economics, chapter 4, pages 69-91, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    7. Liam Delaney & Pat Wall & Fearghal O'hAodha, 2007. "Social Capital & Self-Rated Health in the Republic of Ireland. Evidence from the European Social Survey," Working Papers 200707, Geary Institute, University College Dublin.
    8. Liam Delaney & Patrick G. Wall & Fearghal O'hAodha, 2007. "Social capital and self-rated health in the Republic of Ireland : evidence from the European Social Survey," Open Access publications 10197/576, School of Economics, University College Dublin.
    9. Heather Antecol & Kelly Bedard, 2006. "Unhealthy assimilation: Why do immigrants converge to American health status levels?," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 43(2), pages 337-360, May.
    10. T. Paul Schultz, 1998. "Immigrant quality and assimilation: A review of the US literature," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 11(2), pages 239-252.
    11. National Economic and Social Council & Gerry Sexton & Damian Hannan & Brendan M. Walsh & Dorren McMahon, 1991. "The economic and social implications of emigration," Open Access publications 10197/1559, School of Economics, University College Dublin.
    12. Peter J. Aspinall, 2002. "Suicide amongst Irish Migrants in Britain: A Review of the Identity and Integration Hypothesis," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 48(4), pages 290-304, December.
    13. repec:ucn:wpaper:10197/576 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Michael Grossman, 1972. "The Demand for Health: A Theoretical and Empirical Investigation," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number gros72-1.
    15. Guillermina Jasso & Douglas S. Massey & Mark R. Rosenzweig & James P. Smith, 2004. "Immigrant Health--Selectivity and Acculturation," Labor and Demography 0412002, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Barrett, Alan, 1999. "Irish Migration: Characteristics, Causes and Consequences," IZA Discussion Papers 97, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Blog mentions

    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. Irish in Australia
      by Liam Delaney in Economics and Psychology Research on 2012-08-19 07:25:00

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    Cited by:

    1. Delaney, Liam & McGovern, Mark & Smith, James P., 2011. "From Angela's ashes to the Celtic tiger: Early life conditions and adult health in Ireland," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 1-10, January.
    2. Cummins, Neil & Ó Gráda, Cormac, 2022. "The Irish in England," Economic History Working Papers 115497, London School of Economics and Political Science, Department of Economic History.
    3. Barrett, Alan & Mosca, Irene, 2012. "Exploring the Early-life Causes and Later-life Consequences of Migration through a Longitudinal Study on Ageing," IZA Discussion Papers 6878, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Amelie F. Constant, 2017. "The Healthy Immigrant Paradox and Health Convergence," ifo DICE Report, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 15(03), pages 20-25, October.
    5. Linda Liebenberg & Jeff Christopher Moore, 2018. "A Social Ecological Measure of Resilience for Adults: The RRC-ARM," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 136(1), pages 1-19, February.
    6. Amelie F. Constant & Teresa García-Muñoz & Shoshana Neuman & Tzahi Neuman, 2018. "A “healthy immigrant effect” or a “sick immigrant effect”? Selection and policies matter," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 19(1), pages 103-121, January.
    7. Aoife Brick & Anne Nolan, 2014. "Maternal Country of Birth Differences in Breastfeeding at Hospital Discharge in Ireland," The Economic and Social Review, Economic and Social Studies, vol. 45(4), pages 455-484.
    8. Cummins, Neil & Ó Gráda, Cormac, 2022. "The Irish in England," Economic History Working Papers 115497, London School of Economics and Political Science, Department of Economic History.
    9. Constant, Amelie F. & García-Muñoz, Teresa & Neuman, Shoshana & Neuman, Tzahi, 2014. "Micro and Macro Determinants of Health: Older Immigrants in Europe," IZA Discussion Papers 8754, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Liam Delaney & Mark E. McGovern & James P. Smith, 2024. "Infant Mortality in Mother and Baby Homes in 20th Century Ireland," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 43(5), pages 1-22, October.
    11. Constant, Amelie F. & Milewski, Nadja, 2021. "Self-selection in physical and mental health among older intra-European migrants," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 19(C).
    12. James P. Smith & Liam Delaney, 2015. "Acquiring Human Capital through the Generations by Migration," Journal of Human Capital, University of Chicago Press, vol. 9(4), pages 564-600.
    13. repec:ces:ifodic:v:15:y:2017:i:3:p:50000000000047 is not listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    mental health; migrant selectivity; healthy migrants;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J60 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - General

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