Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2011 Aug 17:11:652.
doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-11-652.

The effect of perceived discrimination on the health of immigrant workers in Spain

Andrés A Agudelo-Suárez  1 , Elena Ronda-Pérez, Diana Gil-González, Carmen Vives-Cases, Ana M García, Carlos Ruiz-Frutos, Emily Felt, Fernando G Benavides
Affiliations

The effect of perceived discrimination on the health of immigrant workers in Spain

Andrés A Agudelo-Suárez et al. BMC Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: Discrimination is an important determinant of health inequalities, and immigrants may be more vulnerable to certain types of discrimination than the native-born. This study analyses the relationship between immigrants' perceived discrimination and various self-reported health indicators.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted (2008) amongst a non-random sample of 2434 immigrants from Ecuador, Morocco, Romania and Colombia in four Spanish cities: Barcelona, Huelva, Madrid and Valencia. A factorial analysis of variables revealed three dimensions of perceived discrimination (due to immigrant status, due to physical appearance, and workplace-related). The association of these dimensions with self-rated health, mental health (GHQ-12), change in self-rated health between origin and host country, and other self-reported health outcomes was analysed. Logistic regression was used adjusting for potential confounders (aOR-95%CI). Subjects with worsening self-reported health status potentially attributable to perceived discrimination was estimated (population attributable proportion, PAP %).

Results: 73.3% of men and 69.3% of women immigrants reported discrimination due to immigrant status. Moroccans showed the highest prevalence of perceived discrimination. Immigrants reporting discrimination were at significantly higher risk of reporting health problems than those not reporting discrimination. Workplace-related discrimination was associated with poor mental health (aOR 2.97 95%CI 2.45-3.60), and the worsening of self-rated health (aOR 2.20 95%CI 1.73- 2.80). 40% (95% CI 24-53) PAP of those reporting worse self-rated health could be attributable to discrimination due to immigrant status.

Conclusions: Discrimination may constitute a risk factor for health in immigrant workers in Spain and could explain some health inequalities among immigrant populations in Spanish society.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. A conceptual framework for action on social determinants of health. http://www.who.int/social_determinants/resources/csdh_framework_action_0...
    1. Paradies Y. A systematic review of empirical research on self-reported racism and health. Int J Epidemiol. 2006;35(4):888–901. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyl056. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Williams DR, Neighbors HW, Jackson JS. Racial/ethnic discrimination and health: findings from community studies. Am J Public Health. 2008;98:(9 Suppl):S29–37. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Williams DR, Mohammed SA. Discrimination and racial disparities in health: evidence and needed research. J Behav Med. 2009;32(1):20–47. doi: 10.1007/s10865-008-9185-0. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Krieger N. A glossary for social epidemiology. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2001;55(10):693–700. doi: 10.1136/jech.55.10.693. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types