Exploring Health and Healthcare Access Among Filipino Migrants in Spain: A Mixed Methods Approach

Background

Around 10 million Filipinos live abroad, yet despite over 200,000 Filipino immigrants in Spain, research on their health and healthcare access remains limited.

Objectives

To examine how sociodemographic factors (sex, age, education, income) relate to self-rated physical and mental health, healthcare access, and health habits among Filipino immigrants in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, and to identify barriers and facilitators using a mixed methods approach.

Methodology

Quantitative component: online survey of 103 Filipino migrants (aged ≥18), conducted October 2022–March 2023; analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. Qualitative component: 8 individual interviews and 2 focus groups (n = 19); analyzed thematically. Participants recruited via convenience and snowball sampling.

Results

Most respondents rated their health as excellent or very good, though chronic conditions were prevalent and women reported greater mental health impact. Most were enrolled in Spain’s public health system; private insurance was more common among higher-income and older respondents. Smoking and alcohol use were more prevalent among men; over half rarely exercised. Barriers spanned sociocultural (health-seeking behaviour, diet), socioeconomic (work demands, family), and service-level domains (language barriers, negative care experiences). Community and faith-based organisations were key sources of support.

Conclusions

Improving healthcare access requires strengthening health literacy, cultural and language preparation prior to migration, and structural reforms—including streamlined immigration processes and promotion of safe working conditions—in both origin and host countries.

Key messages

• Filipino migrants in Spain show good self-rated health but face structural, linguistic, and sociocultural barriers to care that require policy responses in both origin and host countries.

• Community and faith-based organisations are key support resources for Filipino migrants, their role must be formally integrated into health system responses.