Self-reported health and inflammatory markers among older migrants in Europe

Background

As a growing share of migrants reaches retirement age in Europe, their health is receiving increased attention. However, identifying migrants’ health needs is challenging, as unequal healthcare access leads to underdiagnosis and reduces the accuracy of both clinical and self-reported information on specific health conditions. This study thus aims to compare the health of older migrants and native-born populations in Europe using self-reported health indicators together with inflammatory biomarkers unaffected by healthcare access.

Methods

Using the 2015 Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (Wave 6), a cross-sectional study was conducted on 21,345 participants aged 50+ years residing in 11 European countries. Logistic regression was applied to compare self-reported general health, functional limitations, and inflammatory biomarker (C-reactive protein) levels between migrants (across seven European and one non-European origin category) and native-born populations, adjusted for survey-country fixed effects and demographic and social factors, with survey weights. Sub-group analyses by migration wave and host-country region were also performed.

Results

Compared to native-born, Southern European migrants had consistently higher odds of poor self-reported health (OR 4.09, 95% CI 1.48-11.28), functional limitations (OR 2.77, 95% CI 1.04-7.36) and inflammation (OR 3.81, 95% CI 1.51-9.57), even after adjustment, especially among those migrating 1975-1989 and to Western Europe. Other migrants only had moderately higher odds (e.g., Eastern Europeans) or no differences in self-reported indicators, with no evidence of higher inflammation risks.

Conclusions

Contradicting theories of a Mediterranean health advantage and the positive health selection of migrants (“healthy migrant effect”), ageing Southern European migrants show poorer health than host-country populations in Europe, across both subjective and objective indicators of health.

Key messages

• The health of older European migrants varies by region of origin, with Southern European migrants showing poorer health across self-reported and objective indicators unaffected by healthcare access.

• Southern European migrants in Europe show poorer health than host-country populations, which contrasts with evidence of the “healthy migrant effect” and a Mediterranean health advantage.