A case–control study of self-reported health, quality-of-life and general functioning among recent immigrants and age- and sex-matched Swedish-born controls

• Published in: Scandinavian journal of public health Vol. 42; no. 8; pp. 734 - 742
• Main Authors: Löfvander, Monica, Rosenblad, Andreas, Wiklund, Tony, Bennström, Halina, Leppert, Jerzy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.12.2014
• Subjects: Activities of Daily Living; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Case-Control Studies; Diagnostic Self Evaluation; Emigrants and Immigrants - psychology; Emigrants and Immigrants - statistics & numerical data; Emigration and Immigration - statistics & numerical data; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Iraq - ethnology; Male; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Quality of Life; Self Report; Somalia - ethnology; Sweden; Time Factors; Young Adult; Somalia; Sweden; Iraq; immigrant status; Sweden; Immigrant; ethnicity; self-rated health; Quality-of-Life; case–control study; level of functioning; asylum
• DOI: 10.1177/1403494814550175
• ISSN: 1403-4948

Aim: To examine whether new immigrants had inferior quality-of-life, well-being and general functioning compared with Swedish age- and sex-matched controls. Methods: A prospective case–control study was designed including immigrants from non-European countries, 18–65 years of age, with recent Permanent Permits to Stay (PPS) in Sweden, and age- and sex-matched Swedish-born (SB) persons from the general population in Västmanland County, Sweden. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), the brief version of the World Health Organization Quality-of-Life (WHOQOL-BREF) Scale and the General Activity Functioning Assessment Scale (GAF) from DSM-IV were posted (SB), or applied in personal interviews (PPS) with interpreters. Differences between the PPS and SB groups were measured using McNemar’s test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test conducted separately for observations at baseline, 6- and 12-month follow-up. Results: There were 93 pairs (mean age 36 years). Persons from Somalia (67%) and Iraq (27%) dominated the PPS group. The differences between the groups were statistically significant for all time points for the Psychological health and Social relationship domains of WHOQOL-BREF, and for the baseline and 6-month follow-up time points of GHQ-12 where the PPS-group had a higher degree of well-being, health and quality-of-life than the SB. This tendency applied for both sexes in the immigrant group. Conclusions: These new immigrants did not have inferior physical or psychological health, quality-of-life, well-being or social functioning compared with their age- and sex-matched Swedish born pairs during a 1-year follow-up. Thus, there is reason to advocate immigrants’ fast integration into society.